


A Familiar Stranger

by yel_halansu



Series: Star Trek Bingo Summer 2020 [3]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Vulcan history, Historical AU, M/M, Pining, Pre-Reform Vulcan, Pre-Surakian Vulcan, Vulcan Culture, Vulcan Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 08:21:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25467685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yel_halansu/pseuds/yel_halansu
Summary: Captain Kirk is hurled by an ion storm into an alternate universe where Vulcan lies at the cusp of a cultural revolution, and soon finds himself embroiled in a world of desert landscapes, unfamiliar customs and warring clans as he tries to come to terms with his feelings for a Spock who is much less logical than usual...
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Series: Star Trek Bingo Summer 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844740
Comments: 12
Kudos: 114
Collections: Star Trek Bingo Summer 2020





	1. The Fire Plains

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this fic contains some violent content (just not graphic enough to warrant a warning). Every chapter has a translation of all the dialogue in Vulcan at the end. Happy reading!

When Captain James Kirk opened his eyes to the endless white horizon stretching before him, he thought he was dead.

The burning light from the sun high above made him close his eyes again almost immediately. Every cell in his body ached. He tried to collect his thoughts. In his head, he ran through the sequence of events that had just taken place, attempting to recall how it had all gone so horribly wrong. The Enterprise had been assigned a standard mission to visit a Starfleet base on a minor planet in the Gamma quadrant to pick up supplies for transport. They were to set off promptly after the materials were loaded, but he had decided to beam down by himself in the capacity of Captain to exchange formalities with the command officers at the base. Scotty had warned him that there was an ion storm forming over the sector, but he had paid him no mind. He was a brilliant engineer, but he often erred on the side of caution. Jim trusted his transporter–operating skills enough to know he would get to the other side alive. Now, he was not so certain.

If I am dead, surely this is hell; the Captain thought. The sunlight burned against his skin relentlessly, and did not allow him to slip into unconsciousness. He opened his eyes again slowly, and felt a warm, sticky liquid trickling down his forehead, but he did not know if it was sweat or blood, and he did not bother to check. The scorching heat prickled his skin, and the gravity of the planet pulled him down strongly, making his muscles burn with every move. The air seemed thin and smelled unfamiliar. He groaned as he finally noticed that it was sand that had broken his fall – pure white sand, flat and barren like the surface of a  bone, extending like an ocean as far as the eye could see beneath a blood red sky.

As his eyes adjusted, he saw a shape emerge from the rippling mirror of the mirage that danced on the horizon. Weaving in and out of consciousness, Jim soon heard the rumbling of a distant engine and noticed that the shape was a hovercar, which parted the sand beneath it like the bow of an ancient ship as it flew towards him. The hoverca r approached slowly, with the dirty smell of fuel announcing its arrival, and stopped a few meters away from Jim. A humanoid figure jumped down from the driver's seat with panther-like grace. Only when the figure got closer did Jim realized that it was Spock. But it couldn't be – Jim had left Spock in command when he beamed down. Sure, by Vulcan standards, Spock's logic could be a bit questionable when Jim was in trouble, but he was still an excellent first officer who would never disobey an order and abandon his post to go chasing after him. He probably didn't even have a reason to believe Jim was in trouble in the first place.

Yet, Spock stood there, certain as the sun that shone above them. His raven hair hang all the way down his back, and several tattoos in Vulcan script ran down his arms and torso. He was wearing nothing but a loincloth secured with a sash and some jewelry. Jim blinked stupidly. Maybe this wasn't hell after all, but heaven.

–Du vi. Kup stariben du ha – Spock tilted his head, eyeing Kirk with suspicion. –Vesht tevan-tor kwi'igen spo'flekh-zehl-yel.–

–Spock, – he breathed – you look so... sexy– This was the only sentence his brain was capable of forming at this moment.

Spock paused for a moment, a look of shock plain across his face.

–How do you know my name? – he said after a while, as if he had had to think before speaking.

Jim struggled to his knees slowly with a groan, and Spock did not reach out to help him. Instead, he looked at the captain with apprehension, maintaining a careful distance. His eyes darted from Jim's forehead, to his ears, to the Starfleet insignia on his torn uniform.

–Speak! – he commanded in an angry tone that Jim had never heard before. Jim sighed deeply, and the hot air smoldered in his lungs.

–Spock, I'm Jim – he ventured. What was he supposed to say? They had served together on the Enterprise for several years at this point; and they were close, as close as two people can be. They had gone through so much together. One could even say they were in love, even though they weren't dating in the official sense of the word, at least, not just yet. Spock had once spoken of a bond that united them, even when they were apart, but Jim had not yet fully understood what he had meant.

Spock straightened up and took a few steps towards Jim at last.

–That symbol – he said, crouching down right in front of Jim and gripping the front of his uniform – I have seen it on the Terran ships that fly by Shi'Kahr sometimes. Are you a Terran?–

–Yes. Yes! – Kirk's head was reeling, and it was difficult to string coherent thoughts together, much less an entire sentence.

–I have heard of Terrans, but I have never seen one before – Spock continued, as he leaned even closer to Kirk. He was used to sharing his personal space with Spock, and normally he enjoyed it, but this was different. Spock seemed on edge, his curiosity almost feline, unpredictable. Maybe even dangerous. Jim could have sworn he was smelling him. – My father said that before I was born, a Terran woman came to our camp. She brought us food and taught us to speak in Federation Standard. Her name was the Lady Amanda. Do you know her?–

–Of course I do, Spock –Jim's smile lit up his face.– Your mother.–

A flash of rage crossed Spock's dark eyes and Jim felt a punch connect with his face. It sent him reeling. He tried to stand up and run away, but he barely managed to stagger a couple of steps before he collapsed again onto the burning sand and felt the blood rushing from his head. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness again was Spock towering over him, his dark figure silhouetted against the vermilion sky.

Jim woke up to the comfort of a soft blanket embracing him, and tried to sink back into sleep. He thought for a second it had all been a bad dream, until the pain on his jaw came back with a vengeance. He opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the dim light. The ceiling over him seemed to be made of canvas tarp. He pulled the blanket down slightly and shifted to take in his surroundings. He was inside a large tent, with a few mismatched rugs covering most of the ground. He noticed he was laying on a rug as well; he could tell from the way the small mounds of sand pressed against his back through the fabric. He could make out a few items dotted around: some cans of fuel in the corn er, a couple of small baskets for storage, a few cushions and pelts,  and a device that Jim recognized as an  atmospheric water generator, connected to a large clay pot. A wooden trunk about half a meter from his bed seemed to also be used as a table, and a lantern was perched over it, casting its flickering light over an empty cup sitting upside-down, and a hand-hammered metal plate with an intricate design. The rich smell of the spicy stew on it was calling Jim enticingly.

–I am sorry – Spock's voice spoke suddenly by his side, and startled him – about hitting you.

Jim turned to face Spock, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor beside him. He stood up sprightly, and stepped over him to fetch a cup of water from the generator and the plate of food. He placed them by the bed without a word and then picked up a rag and a small bowl from one of the baskets. He proceeded to fill the bowl with water too and sat back beside Jim.

–You went into the Fire Plains by yourself, during a solar flare. You are a fool.– he gestured impatiently at the food while Jim gawked at him. He only then realized that Spock was not going to provide him with any kind of cutlery, and he was expected to eat with his hands. Jim was not an expert in Vulcan culture by any means, but he did know that eating with your hands was considered extremely rude. Still, he picked up one of the pieces with his fingers and ate it. It appeared to be some sort of root, and even though the spices burned on this throat slightly, he instantly felt much better. At least, he felt much safer now that Spock was here to look after him.

–I didn't go into the desert on purpose. There was an accident – Jim explained between bites.

Spock stared at him and raised his eyebrow, like he so often did. However, Jim noticed there was something different about his demeanor. The gaze that was normally composed and analytical seemed somehow less restrained and easier to read.

–I guessed as much – said Spock simply as he wet the cloth into the bowl of water and drained it by twisting the rag. He then placed the compress against Jim's forehead, and even though the cold was pleasant, it made him flinch. – Stay still – Spock commanded.

They stayed there together in silence for a few moments, as Spock carefully wiped the blood off Jim's face while he ate awkwardly. Jim chuckled, still a bit confused about the oddness of this entire situation.

–You still throw one hell of a punch– there was no malice in his voice, but Spock's eyes sparked with anger as he looked up from the bowl.

–I already said I was sorry– he said defensively.

–It's fine, Spock. I'm sorry too– Jim didn't really know the reason he should apologize, just that it would help diffuse the situation.– I just wasn't expecting it I guess. I thought the teachings of Surak forbid violence – he said teasingly.

–The teachings of who?

The words hung in the air for a few seconds. With a full stomach and some rest, Jim was feeling much more like himself, and the pieces of the puzzle started clicking in his head fast. He was, somehow, on Vulcan. The old planet Vulcan, the one that he had seen implode with his own eyes years ago. And this was Spock, but not the Spock he knew. He was also aware that on rare occasions, ion storms were associated with interdimensional travel, an entire new discipline that scientists weren't entirely familiar with and could not harness just yet. Hell, he had once briefly met an older Spock on Delta Vega who claimed to come from the future. He knew it was possible, and that both time and space were not as linear as humans normally assumed them to be. The theory of parallel universes, while not entirely confirmed, was accepted by many experts in the field. A transporter malfunction during the ion storm that Scotty had warned him about could have easily sent him to the Vulcan of another universe; perhaps one where the planet was younger, and thus still in the pre–Surakian era.

But back in the plains, Spock had recognized the Starfleet insignia on his uniform, meaning that Starfleet did exist. There was still hope of getting their assistance to return to the universe he had come from, back to his ship and to his crew, and to his Spock.

–Tell me, is Vulcan a member of the Federation? – asked Kirk as Spock washed the rag and put the bowl away. Spock sneered.

–Their ships come to purchase ore from the rich clans in the city, and then leave. Deep down, they think of us as nothing but dirty savages– he paused and stared at Jim defiantly.

–Spock– Jim started. He didn't know how to begin explaining his theory. Spock came closer and knelt beside him, listening intently with his curious dark eyes.– I think I come from another universe. Like a mirror, if you will – he added, seeing Spock's eyebrows rise in disbelief as a smile broke across his face. It took Jim a few seconds to recover from that sight.

–Everything is the same there, but with some differences. You are my dearest friend, and my companion there – Jim smiled back, and Spock's expression softened.– I was not sent here by the Federation, but they might be able to help me go home. I need to get in touch with them.–

Spock held his gaze for a few moments, and then lowered his eyes.

–I felt something when I touched you before. You are familiar to me, somehow, even though we have never met. It is almost like...– he trailed off, staring at his own hands on his lap, and startled when Kirk touched his shoulder gently. – Never mind. I will help you get home, Jim. It is painful to be alone – Spock added meaningfully.

–Have you got a communicator? Or any kind of device like that, a radio perhaps? – Jim asked.

–Those do not work out here – said Spock pensively. After pausing for a few moments, he pushed Kirk gently back down onto the bed. – I will take care of this. For now, you need rest. You were injured. – 

Kirk wanted to complain, but the bed was too soft and comfortable, and his body too sore. It was probably past nightfall, and his muscles still ached; and Spock was right, as usual. Jim watched with a tender smile as Spock grabbed the lantern from the table and strode out of the tent, his sash fluttering behind him, leaving Jim in complete darkness. It did not take him long to fall asleep after Spock was gone.

Once outside the tent, Spock took a second to throw his head back and enjoy the freshness of the night as he sighed deeply. He paused for a moment as he processed what was happening. Then he turned around quickly and expertly climbed up the small plateau he had set his solitary tent against until he reached the top, and faced to the other side, staring into the dark vastness of the desert horizon. A small cluster of lights shone at the foot of the mountains that lay in the north. He pointed his lantern towards it and opened the small panel at the front, letting the light spill out. He waved his hand over it twice and waited, covering the light.

The reply did not take long to come. A new light flickered on a rock formation near the distant mountains in a similar pattern. Spock waved his hand over the lantern again, creating longer and shorter patterns that spelled out a message. After a pause came the reply, much more curt than Spock's message had been. Spock replied frantically, but the light on the mountain was quickly extinguished. He kicked his foot against the rock beneath him and climbed down to the ground. He crouched by the entrance of the tent and hugged his own legs, seething in frustration as tears welled up in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vulcan translations:
> 
> Du vi. Kup stariben du ha. = Who are you? Can you speak?   
> Vesht tevan-tor kwi'igen spo'flekh-zehl-yel. = You fell a long way from the sky like a strange comet.


	2. The Dunes

Kirk woke to find the tent empty. He sighed deeply and stretched, lying on his makeshift bed  on the ground. Even though his muscles were still sore from the fall and the hypergravity, he felt much better after resting, and the dryness of the air was making the cut on his forehead heal quickly. It was hard for him to determine the time, as he was not very familiar with the duration of hours and days in Vulcan, but sunlight was already filling the tent. He heard clattering outside and stood up gingerly to go investigate.

He stepped outside and took in the sight of the landscape around him. They were no longer in the plains where he had fallen. Spock had set up the tent against a small plateau of bright red rock, shielded against the distant mountains to the north. All around stretched an endless sea of pale dunes, with the odd rock land form jutting out. He could make out where the plains started off to the west, and noticed their flatness and how easy it would have been for Spock to spot a transporter anomaly there. He had been extremely lucky, as usual. As the solar flare had also passed, the sky was no longer red, but rather a dull ocher, like saffron. The massive shape of T'Khut, Vulcan's sister planet, peered over the horizon like a watchful eye.

Kirk found Spock crouching by the entrance of the tent, a short distance away from the parked hovercar. He was digging up a pot from the ground, and opened it to reveal the comforting smell of freshly baked bread inside.

–Krei'la – he said without looking up. He grabbed one of the biscuits and offered it to Kirk with a smile – Eat.–

Kirk sat down beside him and started eating right away. Now that he was feeling better, his appetite had come back strong.

–This is very nice. You are a great cook– he told Spock with a sparkling smile.

Spock did not thank him, but he did turn to smile at him proudly before taking a bite of his own piece.

They ate mostly in silence. The sun was starting to feel stronger every minute that Kirk spent outside, and even though the heat was not as extreme as it had been in the plains, it was still unforgiving. Spock reached out and rubbed his hand against Kirk's forehead, where the sweat was starting to bead up again.

–Why are you always damp?– he asked flatly. Kirk smiled coyly before looking back at Spock.

–It's sweat. My body secretes water to keep me cool in the desert.–

Spock stared at him in disbelief, pausing mid-bite.

–That is not efficient. You should stop doing it.–

–I can't– Kirk chuckled –My body just does it, like breathing or pumping blood. I just need to keep clean and drink plenty of water– Kirk said with a smile.

–I am uncertain about the water– Spock sighed as he stood up, putting the rest of his krei'la back into the pot –but you should keep clean. Take your clothes off– he commanded as he slipped back inside the tent. Kirk took his uniform shirt off apprehensively. Once he had removed it, he noticed the sleeve had been torn from the collar during the fall, and there was a small hole around the lower back as well. Spock suddenly returned holding a skein of thread and a fine needle made of bone, and his sudden entrance made Kirk stop halfway from opening the electrostatic seam on his pants. Spock sat down on the sand again, unfazed, and reached out to take Kirk's shirt from him.

–Spock– said Kirk tentatively –humans do not normally undress in front of others.–

Spock looked up from the shirt, which he was now inspecting to assess the damage and the repairs necessary.

–Why not?– he asked with curiosity.

Jim sighed heavily. He was so attracted to Spock, and sometimes he struggled to push aside the inappropriate thoughts that popped into his head when he was around him. That was hard enough when Spock was fully clothed, composed, and discussing scientific matters with him. When he was almost naked and asking him with his big bright eyes why didn't he want to be almost naked too, it was almost too much to bear.

–We find it... well, I don't think it's right to take my trousers off around you.– Kirk sputtered after a few moments. Not yet at least, he added silently in his mind.

Spock rolled his eyes slightly as Jim stood beside him awkwardly.

–Fine. If you are uncomfortable, you can go over there– he pointed towards a particularly large dune nearby. –I will not look– he paused pensively for a moment –Do you know how to clean yourself?–

Kirk shook his head softly when he realized that no sonic waves, or even soap and water would be involved, and Spock rolled his eyes again.

–Rub the sand into your skin and brush it off– he said simply, turning back to his sewing.

Kirk nodded and headed towards the dune and out of Spock's sight. He undressed there and did as he was told, and was surprised to find that the sand quickly absorbed his sweat and was easy to brush off his skin, leaving him cleaner than he had expected.

After repeating the process a few times, he got dressed again and came back to find Spock holding out his shirt, inspecting his own handiwork. He handed it back to Kirk without a word.

–I'm very glad you found me here, Spock– Jim said at last, and Spock's expression softened.

–Are you still in pain? You were in bed for a long time– Spock replied.

–I feel much better, thank you– Kirk smiled at him.

–Good.– Spock stared at the ground sternly for a few moments. –Are you well enough to travel?–

The hovercar tore above the dunes with a roar, its dark metallic plating glistening in the evening sun like a gigantic beetle. It was a beat–up old model full of dents, with a bright red streak painted all around it, stretching around its oval shape completely. Spock was not sitting on the driver's seat, but rather crouched on it so that he could lean over the wheel as he drove. His eyes darted around, inspecting the terrain ahead of them as if looking for something. Jim's eyes were fixed on Spock the entire time, as his long hair whipped around wildly in the desert wind. Spock had been his usual secretive self and not really explained where they were going, just that there were things he needed to do out there, and Kirk had been more than happy to tag along without needing any more details. He trusted Spock to do the necessary to help him contact the Federation in time.

They were around halfway between the tent and the mountains when suddenly, Spock spotted something in the distance, and narrowed his eyes as he examined it carefully. He braked the hovercar to a halt until it descended softly onto the sand below, picked up the bag he had dumped in the back, and jumped out. Kirk climbed out of the passenger's seat, and hurried to catch up with Spock, who was already approaching the feature that had caught his attention.

To Jim it just seemed like a solitary rock, relatively small in size, poking out of a random dune, but to Spock's expert eye, it seemed out of place enough to warrant investigating. Spock picked it up easily and threw it aside, then crouched down and started digging in the sand with his hands. Kirk quickly knelt beside him and helped him. After a few moments, their hands scratched something hard and metallic. Spock unearthed a can of fuel, and placed it beside the hole they had dug.

–Spock... what is this?– asked Kirk.

–A gift– he replied solemnly as he continued digging. He pulled out a small fabric pouch as well, and he felt around for more objects, but nothing else had been buried. Kirk watched as Spock opened the pouch and took out a single carved wooden earring in a triangular shape. He sighed and felt around the lobe of his right ear, finally finding a pierced hole he could put it on. He then reached for the bag they had brought with them, and started taking out some dried wood to build a fire in the hole they had dug.

The evening was falling fast around them, and the sky was darkening to a bruised shade of plum. Spock retrieved some blankets from the back of the hovercar, put the fuel away and started kindling the fire with expert hands. Very soon it was crackling loudly in the dead silence of the desert.

–I was hoping to meet with someone here– Spock explained at last –he might still show up later. My father– he added meaningfully, looking up at Kirk from the fire. –He has been to the city before, and knew the Lady Amanda. He could help us get you home.–

–Thank you, Spock. I appreciate everything you do for me– Kirk smiled warmly, but it didn't affect Spock's glum demeanor much.

Kirk noticed that some lights had started to shine around the foot of the mountain.

–Is that a village?– he piped up brightly. –Maybe we could ask them for help?–

–Maybe– Spock replied with a sarcastic smile. After a brief pause, his expression changed, and he asked earnestly:

–Who are you, Jim? Did you really fall into the plains from another universe?–

Jim paused to consider the question.

–I am a starship captain. I command a vessel with over 400 people in it– he added as he knitted his brow. –I took a shuttle by myself and flew into an ion storm, and that is the last thing I remember before you found me. I think the mirror universe theory is the only plausible explanation. In my universe, Vulcans and humans are both part of the Federation, it is peaceful and everyone is treated fairly– this statement elicited a sour chuckle from Spock, but Kirk admonished him gently. –It's true! Where I come from, Vulcans... they bury all their emotions inside. I know you there, but I have never seen you smile– Jim added tenderly.

–I do not have a reason to smile often here either– Spock ventured somberly. Jim looked up at him. –A Vulcan is nothing without his clan. I was banished from mine– Spock poked the fire with a stick distractedly as he spoke.

–What? Why?–

–I was engaged to a woman who did not want me, and I fought the man she favored. I am not proud of it.–

–That hardly seems like a logical reason to expel someone from their family, Spock– Jim added sadly.

–Nobody liked me regardless. My mother is gone, and the rumors say that I was born of the Lady Amanda before she left– Jim thought it better to not argue with him on this and risk getting punched again, but he was aware that Spock had to know, deep down, that this was in fact the truth. Spock continued with a shrug:

–My father is treated like a harlot, and I, like a bastard child. We have no woman in our household– Spock pointed to the lights at the foot of the mountain. –That is their camp. I follow them from afar, and sometimes my father and I leave things buried in the sand for each other. I worry about him.–

–Spock...– Jim trailed off softly, scooting up closer to him and putting his arm around Spock's shoulders. Spock hugged his own legs, sighed and looked up at the sky, clearly fighting back tears. He stood up and wrapped the blanket around his bare shoulders. Kirk rose to his feet to follow.

–Perhaps he is not coming after all.–

As soon as Spock had said this, a silhouette emerged from behind a nearby dune. As it approached, their campfire cast its flickering light on him: a n older Vulcan with salt and pepper hair, wrapped in printed robes that hang open at the front, also adorned with a loincloth an d mismatched je welry. Kirk recognized him instantly as Ambassador Sarek. Or, Jim thought, probably just Sarek in this universe.

–Father!– called Spock in Federation Standard, but Sarek interrupted him rudely in Vulcan right away.

–Ha'ge-glantokal na'akarshif. Vesht tor torai t'za-gad tehvar-bosh, heh isha la'ragel-tor. Ak'kupi beglanau au vesht hal-tor nash-veh.–

–Father– Spock repeated as Sarek reached the campfire –this is Jim. He is a Terran.–

Sarek stared at Jim with bewilderment for a second, and then nodded his head curtly at him. Spock sat back down by the campfire slowly, and both his father and Jim joined him. Kirk spoke first, trying to clear the air.

–Thank you for meeting us here, sir. I've been stranded after an accident, and I'm looking for a way to get in touch with the Federation, maybe through their Embassy or a Starfleet base. Spock thought you might be able to help us.–

Sarek rubbed his hand on his chin.

–There is a Starfleet base in Shi'Kahr, which is about two days of travel to the southeast– Sarek said as he pointed in the correct direction with his arm. –But you need to be careful there, I hear there is trouble brewing– he added with a frown.

–Why?– asked Spock. Sarek seemed exasperated.

–That rabble-rouser again, Surak– he said rolling his eyes. –They say he is always causing trouble in the marketplace.–

–Wait– interjected Kirk – Surak is alive?–

–Not for long– smirked Sarek dismissively.

–What... what do you mean?– asked Kirk after a moment of hesitation. Sarek sighed.

–I am not certain on the details. I overheard T'Pau mention him the last time she spoke to the traveling merchants from Phelsh't. That was weeks ago, he might have already been killed.– he added, casting his gaze around uncomfortably. –Just stay away from Surak if you see him, get the Terran to the base as soon as possible, and come back to the dunes right away.–

Kirk's throat was in knots.

–You do not understand. Surak cannot be killed yet– he whispered as the two Vulcans turned to him in unison. –Surak will be... crucial. He will be one of the greatest philosophers of all time– Jim cursed at himself internally for not being able to articulate precisely why that would be. He was obviously familiar with the basics of Vulcan history, but their philosophy on logic had never really been his forte. It felt bizarre to argue about it with Spock and his father, but he did remember clearly that by the time Surak was teaching, the Vulcans had been on the brink of a nuclear war that would have driven them to extinction. In spite of the Prime Directive, he could not ignore an assassination plot against anybody, especially against someone whose teachings would in turn be responsible for saving millions and changing the course of history for the better.

–In time, all of Vulcan will heed his teachings. He will bring peace and equality to your planet, and you will stop warring in the desert for water and fuel. He will save you from annihilation, and you will become one of the most prosperous planets in the Federation. Surak is the linchpin in the history of Vulcan. You need to spare him, so he can teach you all about his logic. If you don't, all of Vulcan might be destroyed.–

–You sound just like him– Sarek shot Kirk a dismissive look and stood up –Por shinsarat kuv dva-tor du zhitlar t'nash-tfi'kien– he added, looking poignantly down at Spock.

–Father!– Spock reached out to him and touched his shoulder, but Sarek whipped around and gripped his wrist angrily.

–Spahk– Sarek turned and spoke in Vulcan, completely ignoring Kirk. –Fai-tor nash-veh nahplar t'du. Ri'shroi'uh na'ish-veh eh ri hal'uh na'ith'du. Dungi-stau n'du. Ri kup pak-tor nash-veh du ek'wak.–

Spock did not respond, but stared at him full of anger and defiance. Sarek cast one last stern look at his son and walked away, disappearing behind the dunes once again.

Kirk stood there for a few moments as Spock stared at the silhouette of his father, his fists balled up tight. Finally, Spock drew in a deep breath and said quietly:

–I believe you.–

–I'm sorry, Spock?–

–I believe you– Spock repeated. –What you said about Surak. I do not understand entirely where you came from, but I know your heart all too well for it to be untrue– Spock said meaningfully before turning to face Jim.

–I will go to the camp to find out more information. I do not care anymore that I was banished, I will go for you. You should stay here. It could be dangerous, and you are fragile, and do not know how to survive in the desert without me.–

Kirk frowned, his human pride slightly bruised.

–No way. I'm going with you– he asserted. –Even if it's dangerous. I'm the one who wants to go to Shi'Kahr anyway, so I will not leave you alone.–

Spock stared at him for a second before smiling sweetly as he jumped nimbly into the hovercar and beckoned for Kirk to follow.

They drove back to the tent in silence. After dinner, Spock insisted that Jim should sleep for a few hours while he packed his belongings on the back of the hovercar, and Jim was very grateful for the opportunity. Once Spock had woken him up gently, Jim helped him dismantle the tent quickly and refuel the hovercar. They set off as the golden light of dawn was starting to break on the horizon, Spock's dark eyes set on the clan's campsite like a cheetah stalking prey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha'ge-glantokal na'akarshif. Vesht tor torai t'za-gad tehvar-bosh, heh isha la'ragel-tor. Ak'kupi beglanau au vesht hal-tor nash-veh. = You light-signaled me for a long time. What you did yesterday was dangerous, and so is meeting here. They will notice I am gone very soon.
> 
> Por shinsarat kuv dva-tor du zhitlar t'nash-tfi'kien. = You are crazy if you believe the words of this non-Vulcan.
> 
> Spahk. Fai-tor nash-veh nahplar t'du. Ri'shroi'uh na'ish-veh eh ri hal'uh na'ith'du. Dungi-stau n'du. Ri kup pak-tor nash-veh du ek'wak. = Spock. I know what you are thinking. Do not listen to him, and do not go to the camp. You will be killed. I cannot lose you for good.


	3. The Mountains

The hovercar engine sputtered as Spock braked suddenly. They had driven for a few hours to reach the camp, but the growing light of dawn still shone on the face of the mountain, reflecting off of the pale tents like teeth jutting out from the edge where the sand dunes met the rocks. The tents, which Kirk surmised numbered about 15 or 20, were positioned in a way that created two concentric circles around an open space, dominated by a particularly large and ornate tent, decorated with banners of fabric that fluttered in the warm morning breeze. A few hovercars were parked around the edge of the camp. Spock jumped down from his own, and, flipping his long hair back with an air of determination, strode confidently to the center of the camp with Kirk at his heels.

A handful of men were already up, chatting to each other as they built a campfire in the square. They all bore tattoos that were similar to Spock's, and wore their long hair down. Kirk noted that the characteristic Vulcan bowl cut did not appear to be in fashion yet, and neither did the heavy, multilayered robes that he was so used to seeing. The chatter turned to alarmed whispers as soon as the men saw Spock, and more and more Vulcans gradually started coming out of their tents and peering around cautiously, probably awoken by the noise of the engine. Someone cried out loud:

–Mesh-fam!–

Spock whipped around furiously, but could not see who had screamed at them. One of the men who had been building the campfire, who had intricate geometric shapes painted on his face, ran immediately into the large tent at the center of the camp.

–Nam-tor du vakh la'fun-tor, ulef-koshsu– Spock and Kirk turned to see who had spoken. It was a beautiful young woman, wearing a draping dress and her hair in braids.

–T'Pring,– Spock replied with a sneer, arching an eyebrow –sahrafel nash-veh ta Stonn plathau vah ki'rok-tor du.–

The whispers grew. The woman seemed offended, but before she could reply, an older matriarch emerged from the large tent, dripping in jewelry and shawls. Three scantily clad male attendants, all sporting face paint, stood beside her with their arms crossed over their chests as she spoke:

–Spahk, fai-tor ta ki'zahal-tor n'etek, hi ri vest nah-tor kupi-fun-tor du riya'akasham.–

Kirk did not understand what was being said, but he did recognize that you could cut the tension with a knife. He looked around cautiously to see Sarek emerging from a tent in the back with a fearful expression on his face, rubbing his hands in worry.

–Goh aitlu variben, oT'Pau. Dungi sahr-trasha.– Spock spoke at last with his gaze fixed on the ground.

–Ri kup-la'im'roi eh veling ni'droi na'gol'nev!– a male voice shouted. Kirk turned around to see another young man, roughly of Spock's age, who stood with his hands balled up in fists and his teeth bared beside T'Pring, the woman who had shouted at Spock before. The matriarch, T'Pau, interrupted him with a commanding voice:

–Stonn, ralash-fam! Nam-tor don shroi–

–Don nirsh-vel nash-khra'kre'nath! Mos-tor du, T'Pau!– screamed T'Pring from the back.

–Ralash-fam!– ordered T'Pau, who was starting to shake with rage.

–Il ra?– replied T'Pring with a wild sneer, flushing with anger. –Du rikaukuhik Reldai.–

All the other Vulcans gasped as they stood around in silence for a second, tense and unblinking like startled felines, before Stonn's voice boomed again as he pointed accusatorily at Spock:

–Ri wuhkuh t'etek!–

–Lesh nash-veh maat-ulidar spo'du, Stonn!– Kirk startled at Spock's loud reply, and turned to see him point furiously to the tattoo on his own left arm.

The air became more and more charged as the fervent pitch of their shouting grew. Kirk did not dare move. Sarek did not even dare breathe.

Stonn finally exploded with a crazed smile:

–Vesht katau tfi'kien na'ith'du! Sos'eh teretuhr-is-tor k'khra'sa-mekh!–

Spock let out an incoherent yell and charged at Stonn, and the whole camp suddenly erupted in a vicious fight.

T'Pau's guards moved quickly in front of her to shield her with their bodies, and Kirk watched in despair as Stonn also charged towards Spock and punched him in the face. Spock slapped him right back as Stonn roared.

–Stop! Please stop!– pleaded Kirk desperately, but none of the Vulcans were listening.

Sarek tried to run towards his son, but he was pushed to the ground before he could reach the center of the camp. Two girls were struggling to hold T'Pring back - she was trying to throw herself against T'Pau as Spock and Stonn rolled on the floor, engaged in a combat of their own. A large halberd, which Kirk recognized as a Vulcan lirpa, somehow ended up in Stonn's hand during the commotion, and the blunt end connected with Spock's stomach. He grunted in pain before reaching behind him and grabbing a handful of sand from the ground, which he threw into Stonn's face, blinding him momentarily.

Kirk looked up to notice that the two girls were no longer holding onto T'Pring, who had disappeared. He looked around, but could not see her among the chaos of the screaming Vulcans. Someone knocked into him and he fell to the ground. As he tried to stagger back to his feet, he located T'Pring again, and his blood went cold. She came out of a tent, holding a disruptor rifle, her face full of determination as she ran towards him.

It took Kirk a second to notice that even though T'Pring was coming in his direction, her gaze was not fixed on him, but on T'Pau, whose attendants were pale in the face, trying to push her behind them as she clawed at their backs. Kirk had a sudden idea. He stuck his leg out just as T'Pring strode by his side, taking aim at the matriarch with the rifle. She tripped immediately and fell face-first into the sand. Kirk took advantage of the second it took her to realize what had happened, and grabbed the rifle from her. He stepped a prudent distance away from T'Pring, who was now getting back up again, and fired the rifle up into the sky. The Vulcans all fell silent instantly at the sound of the shot.

–Stop it! All of you!– Kirk shouted again, before being knocked over from behind by one of T'Pau's guards, who also took the rifle from him. Looking up from the ground, he saw another guard run over to where Spock and Stonn were fighting, and punch the latter so hard he was knocked out instantly. Spock struggled to his feet, wiping green blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

The guard who had taken the rifle yelled, enraged, as the other clan members scattered around. But he did not fire on them. A couple of Vulcans fled into the mountains and out of sight between the rock formations. Tears were streaming down T'Pring's face as she pulled on Stonn's unconscious body, trying to carry him away from the center of the camp, leaving a trail on the sand behind them. Soon she was joined by a handful more Vulcans, who helped her load him unceremoniously into a hovercar. They sped off into the dunes immediately. The few remaining stragglers grabbed things from their tents, and fled after them as quickly as they could. Spock was quickly at Kirk's side as they watched the rebels abandon the camp.

–Have you been injured?– asked Spock before Jim could say anything, placing his hand on his shoulder.

–No, Spock. Are you OK?– replied Jim tenderly. Spock answered with a nod as he stared into the horizon, watching the hovercars disappear in the distance.

–I do not believe we have been properly introduced– came T'Pau's solemn voice from behind them, as she addressed Kirk in Federation Standard. She pointed at him, then at Spock, and then at her tent. –Follow me.–

–What you did was very brave, Terran.– Back in her tent, T'Pau was the first one to speak, after taking a long sip of her theris-masu tea. She was sitting on a dark wooden chair, escorted by one of her guards, while Spock and Kirk sat down in cushions on the ground in front of her. Spock had instructed Kirk to follow his lead, and they both took a sip from their cups after waiting respectfully. –And you, Spock. Look at what you started. But brave you are also, I will admit that.– Spock nodded with forced contrition and held back a scowl.

–You said you wanted to speak– T'Pau continued. –Do so now.–

–We need information– Spock started, –about Surak.–

T'Pau's expression soured as soon as he had uttered the name, but Spock continued:

–We know you spoke about him to the merchants from Phelsh't, and that there is a plot against his life. Tell us what you know, and I will never come near the camp again.–

Kirk turned to look at him tenderly. Spock, his Spock, was always so ready to abandon everything for him, even when they met in another universe, even when he was not his First Officer and didn't owe him any loyalty. The complete trust he held for him never changed.

T'Pau considered Spock's offer for a minute, as she stared intently into his eyes.

–You understand I had no choice but to banish you, Spock. I must do what is best for the clan.–

–I was part of the clan too, T'Pau– stated Spock, holding her gaze.

–As insolent as always, I see– she smirked. She adjusted her shawl around her neck and after a few moments, she sighed. –I do not know why you care about Surak and I am not going to ask. All I know is that the Reldai of Shi’al wants him dead. In three days, the Rumarie festival will take place in Shi'Kahr, and Shi'al will plant a nuclear device in the marketplace. If Surak shows to try and interfere with the festival again, she will detonate it and take care of him once and for all.–

–An entire city to get to one man?– Kirk interrupted, bewildered. –Why does she hate him so much?–

–He is turning the citizens against her– T'Pau warned. –They say he spits poison against the Reldai at every turn.–

–We have to go right now!– Kirk yelled at Spock, standing up suddenly –Thousands could be killed!– he said as he strode towards the entrance of the tent.

–What does the maat-ulidar of Shi'al look like?– asked Spock, not budging from his seat. T'Pau grabbed a cane from behind her chair and drew Vulcan characters on the sand.

–It is red. They have it on the back.– T'Pau explained as Spock studied the symbols on the sand, committing them to memory. Kirk came back and pulled on Spock's arm, and it was only then that he stood and turned to leave the tent. He paused for a moment to thank T'Pau with a silent nod of his head, and strode out, only to find Sarek standing near the entrance.

–Sa-mekh. Ek'wak'la'trasha. Hal-tor na'Shi'Kahr- Spock said as he threw his arms around him. He sighed deeply and rubbed his cheek against his father's hair. -Worla kup fun-tor. Rok-tor kup tal-tor du nash-veh ein-gad.–

–Sa-fu t'nash-veh...– Sarek held his son tentatively, but Spock was gone before he could tighten the embrace.

Spock quickly caught up with Kirk as they headed for the hovercar at the edge of the camp, striding past him furiously, his brow knitted and jaw set. However, when they got there, instead of jumping in, Spock grabbed a few items from the back and turned to run back past the camp and up the mountain.

–Wait, where are you going?– called Jim behind him, struggling to run in the soft sand.

–Not enough fuel to get to Shi'Kahr in that!– Spock explained. –We will get stranded in the Shival flats! I have something better.–

Kirk followed him up the mountain, struggling to keep up with Spock's strides as he jumped over rocks and small tufts of thorny plants. He finally reached his side when Spock slowed down by the entrance of a cave that Kirk had not noticed before, about 500 meters away from the edge of the camp. It was a large opening, large enough for them to walk in easily without having to crouch. Spock paused, took in a deep breath to stop his panting and entered reverently, with Kirk following close behind him.

The cave was pitch-black, and Kirk's eyes had trouble acclimating to the darkness after coming from the morning sun outside. The air was moist and carried a musty smell, but it was surprisingly warm. He followed the pale figure of Spock ahead of him as the Vulcan walked carefully between the large, round rocks that littered the floor of the cave, inspecting them individually. Kirk stopped for a second and leaned against one of the rocks to catch his breath, only to hear the rock moan deeply. He withdrew his hand in alarm at the warm, soft texture of the fur, and realized that these were not rocks, but large sleeping animals. Kirk picked up the pace and caught up with Spock, who was kneeling in front of one of the bear-like creatures, rubbing his face affectionately against a dangerously fanged muzzle and cooing in Vulcan. Kirk recognized the creatures as sehlats, a domesticated species native to the planet. The one that Spock was embracing let out a soft huffing sound and playfully swiped his paw at Spock's chest, which knocked the Vulcan down onto his back. Spock's laughter wasn't capable of soothing Kirk's concern entirely.

–This is I-Chaya– Spock said at last with a bright smile before getting his face licked. –He's just excited because he has not seen me in a long time, but he's very obedient. He will take us to Shi'Kahr.–

Spock stood up and patted I-Chaya on the flank until the beast folded his front legs quietly, lowering his back. Spock then proceeded to secure the boxes and bags he had brought from the hovercar onto his back with strips of cloth and rope. Once he was satisfied that everything was secure and comfortable for the animal, he climbed onto I-Chaya's back and beckoned at Jim. The sehlat was a big creature, and Jim had trouble getting his leg high enough to gain purchase, but once he managed to do so, Spock helped him up by holding his hand and pulling up.

At Spock's command, I-Chaya started walking slowly out of the cave, bumping softly into a couple of the other sleeping sehlats with a groan. Once they were outside, he had no trouble clearing the short distance to the very foot of the mountain, where the sand dunes began. Jim found it difficult to stretch his legs open far enough to allow room for the massive creature's back, but he had no trouble holding on if he grabbed Spock's waist with his arms, and found the wobbling of the sehlat's body as he walked quite endearing. However, before Kirk could get too comfortable, Spock leaned in, hugged I-Chaya's neck, and dug his bare heels into his flanks. The sehlat roared and sped up to a gallop, aiming for the vast expanse of desert to the south of the mountains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vulcan translations:
> 
> Mesh-fam! = (You are) Shameless!
> 
> Nam-tor du vakh la'fun-tor, ulef-koshsu = You are bold to return here, half-breed.
> 
> T'Pring, sahrafel nash-veh ta Stonn plathau vah ki'rok-tor du. = I trust that Stonn fulfills you as you had hoped.
> 
> Spahk, fai-tor ta ki'zahal-tor n'etek, hi ri vest nah-tor kupi-fun-tor du riya'akasham.= We know that you have been following us, but did not think you could return unasked.
> 
> Goh aitlu variben, oT'Pau. Dungi sahr-trasha.= We only want to talk, (honorable) T'Pau. We will leave quickly.
> 
> Ri kup-la'im'roi eh veling ni'droi na'gol'nev! = You can't walk in here and simply ask for help!
> 
> Stonn, ralash-fam! Nam-tor don shroi.- = Stonn, quiet! It is worth to listen (to him).
> 
> Don nirsh-vel pinkal nash-khra'kre'nath! Mos-tor du, T'Pau!= This fucking bastard is worth nothing! You're growing soft, T'Pau!
> 
> Ralash-fam! = Silence!
> 
> Il ra?= Or what?
> 
> Du rikaukuhik Reldai.= You're unfit (to be the) matriarch.
> 
> Ri wuhkuh t'etek! = He is not one of us!
> 
> Lesh nash-veh maat-ulidar spo'du, Stonn! = I bear the clan tattoo just like you, Stonn!
> 
> Vesht katau tfi'kien na'ith'du! Sos'eh teretuhr-is-tor k'khra'sa-mekh! = He brought a non-Vulcan to the camp! Maybe he will share him with his fucking father!
> 
> Sa-mekh. Ek'wak'la'trasha. Hal-tor na'Shi'Kahr. = Father. I am leaving here forever. I am going to Shi'Kahr.
> 
> Worla kup fun-tor. Rok-tor kup tal-tor du nash-veh ein-gad. = I can never come back. I hope you can find me someday.
> 
> Sa-fu t'nash-veh... = My son...


	4. The Shival Flats

It took them about half a day of travel to cross the dunes and arrive to the flats that lay northwest of Shi'Kahr. The sand ridges tapered off into solid packed ground and soon became distant in the horizon behind them. I-Chaya's footsteps became steadier on this new terrain, and the animal slowed his gallop gradually, but was able to maintain a relatively fast trot with ease in the hard surface. The flats were still harsh and unforgiving, but sometimes small yellow clouds would cross in front of the Eridani sun and provide a few seconds of relief from its unforgiving fire, and small shrubs grew dotted around in the craquelure of the red ground.

Spock could easily keep their direction steady from the position of the sun and of the planet T'Khut, which would peek over the horizon for most of the day. Kirk never once questioned his efficiency. A lifetime in the desert had made this universe's Spock even more unstoppable than his counterpart. It intimidated Jim slightly. He had wondered for so long what it would be like if Spock was not bound by Surakian teachings, if he was free to show affection and to scream and cry when he was upset, in the way that humans are. Now that he was actually witnessing it, he was surprised to discover the intensity of the barbaric aura that emanated from the Vulcan, and how unmatched it really was to anything a human could ever possess. Pre-Surakian Spock was like an electric storm, and even though Kirk trusted he would never hurt him, he worried that Spock could be so wild as to end up hurting himself in his ferocity.

The sehlat's body was warm beneath him, and Kirk was sweating profusely once again. His body temperature had felt feverish since he landed on the planet. Now that the ground was steadier and Jim had gotten used to I-Chaya's slower pace, he surmised he could maintain his balance more easily on their mount, and stopped clinging for dear life to Spock's waist. He still held onto his companion with his hands, but he stretched his arms and pulled his body back, welcoming the breeze that ran between their bodies. As nice as it was to bury his face into Spock's long mane of dark hair, it was not helping with the temperature problem.

Not that pulling away from him didn't present its own issues, because now he had a full view of Spock's bare, muscular back. He could see a few soft bruises starting to bloom from the fight at the camp, and he could notice every single mole and small scar on his skin. Jim's eyes ran along the length of a particularly long tattoo, a phrase in Vulcan characters that started on Spock's left shoulder and ran vertically, disappearing enticingly into the fabric sash that encircled his waist. Spock's loincloth was more efficient at preserving his modesty than Jim had originally hoped, but it still did not leave much to the imagination. Jim's mind began to wander as he observed Spock's powerful thighs, bouncing up and down softly with the movement of the animal beneath him. Spock sighed heavily, and Kirk had to bite his lower lip hard.

A crow-like scream interrupted his trance. Kirk looked up to see a flock of silver teresh–kah birds flying over them, following their direction. He shook his head and wiped the sweat off his brow with his hand. Spock dug his heels into I-Chaya's flanks again, spurring the creature on to follow the flock ahead.

– I will find you water and food soon– Spock stated. –It's easier on the flats than on the dunes.

–Thank you, Spock– smiled Jim.

–I worry about you– continued Spock seriously. –You are small and reckless. I can hear your stomach rumbling with hunger already, even though we ate yesterday morning. Your skin lets the damp out, instead of taking it in– Kirk frowned at the disturbing implications about the alien Vulcan physiognomy that these statements carried, but Spock continued before he could ask any questions. –I heard the whole of Terra is covered in water, and it rains constantly. You are all used to living in luxury, and have grown soft.–

–I am a trained Starfleet officer– Kirk argued –I know how to take care of myself in a hostile environment.–

–No, you do not– said Spock curtly with his eyes fixed in the distance. –You know how to fly a starship, but not how to clean yourself in the desert. You say you have an army of 400 men, but you are here by yourself. You are not used to riding on an animal, I can tell by how you sit. I bet you cannot hunt either. If I do not get you to that Starfleet base, you will die sooner or later.–

Kirk pushed aside his wounded pride to consider Spock's statement. Unfortunately, he was not wrong.

–I will not die as long as I am with you though– he told Spock with a sweet smile.

–I will not allow it– Spock's reply was charged with determination rather than softness.

Kirk noticed two long shapes protruding from the ground in the distance, where the flock of teresh–kah had disappeared. As they got closer, he noticed that they were actually a couple of trees. Their knotted trunks jutted out of the ground like beckoning fingers, and their glossy leaves shone a stark shade of purple against the pale sky. They were surrounded by a handful of small, hardy-looking bushes that grew in the scarce shade they provided.

When they arrived near them, Spock dismounted from I-Chaya with ease and helped Kirk down, then turned to the saddlebag strapped to the sehlat's hinds to take out a small hatchet. He walked straight to the closest bush, knelt beside it, and sank the hatchet with precision at the root. Spock quickly cut off the short branches, leaving the plump stalk bare, and passed it to Jim.

–Eat it– he commanded. –It is khara– he turned and cut a second one for himself. He held it between his teeth as he started digging in the hardened ground with the hatchet, taking distracted bites every now and again.

The taste of the khara stalk reminded Kirk of salted leek, but the texture was strange to him, as it was thick and meaty. However, he found the clear, syrup-like sap that filled it oddly refreshing, and it left his lips feeling sticky. He tried to rip a second one from the ground when he finished, but they were too deeply rooted to pull out by hand. Spock stopped what he was doing to help him, and Kirk sat down after thanking him as the Vulcan continued with his task. Once the hole Spock had been digging was deep enough to his satisfaction, he untied the sash from his waist and stuffed it inside. Jim tried to redirect his curiosity from Spock's precariously secured loincloth to his intent gaze.

–You're an expert– Kirk said. –It is not easy to survive in the desert– he did not really understand what Spock was doing exactly, but he knew by now that there was not a thing he did that didn't serve a specific and crucial purpose. Spock shrugged.

–All Vulcans do it– he replied –it is nothing special.–

–That doesn't make it any less impressive to me. You are a hardy people.– Jim said as his blue eyes met Spock's, and he could swear Spock was blushing slightly as he turned his gaze away. Jim could tell that Spock wanted to reply but did not know what to say, so he turned with him to take in the landscape around them.

–Vulcan is beautiful. I'm glad I get to see it with you now.– Kirk stopped himself before adding that Vulcan no longer existed in his universe. He wondered if the pain would be too much for this Spock to bear. He pushed the thought away from his head and smiled as he placed his hand on Spock's bare shoulder instead–Up on a starship, it becomes easy to think of planets as very small when compared to space itself. I guess it takes looking at an expanse like this to realize how small we all really are in comparison.–

Spock smiled softly and lowered his eyes as he shifted. They sat in silence for a few moments while they stared into the horizon. After a while, Spock withdrew the sash from the hole in the ground, and to Kirk's surprise, it was wet. The water in the soil by the tree had permeated it slowly while they waited. Spock passed it to Kirk, who raised it over his face and drained it, opening his mouth inelegantly to drink the precious water that dripped down from it. He let the cloth fall onto his face, and enjoyed its coolness with a satisfied grunt that made Spock chuckle. After a few moments, he handed the fabric back.

–There might not be another oasis on our way to Shi'Kahr– Spock explained. Kirk frowned in disappointment, specially after realizing that Spock considered a couple of solitary trees and less than a cup's worth of water to be an oasis. –We could camp here if you feel unwell, but it will hinder our progress. It is only mid–afternoon.– he continued, as he tied his sash back in place.

–You are not drinking?– asked Jim.

–No– Spock replied simply.

–Then let's carry on– Kirk decided. They had to get to Shi'Kahr on time to prevent the disaster. Even if it costs me my life, Kirk thought, and quickly decided that this would not be the case. Not as long as Spock was with him.

–Fine– the Vulcan replied, jumping to his feet. He cut a few more khara bushes, whittled them down to the stalks and handed them to Kirk, telling him to store them in the saddlebag. After sizing up one of the trees for a few moments, he cut a particularly long, straight branch off with a few precise swipes. He balanced it precariously against I-Chaya as he mounted and helped Kirk after him, then grabbed it and spurred the sehlat onward with a wordless cry.

When they had been traveling for a few hours more, Spock started sharpening the tip of the branch with his hatchet as they rode, making a spear. Kirk smiled silently as he watched, impressed with the dexterity it took to balance on the trotting animal without gripping onto anything. Occasionally Spock would stop and turn the spear around, bouncing it on his hand as he checked it for balance, before going back to make more adjustments to it.

–Are all humans like you?– Spock asked after a while.

–What do you mean?–

–You know,– Spock gestured nonchalantly with the hatchet –carefree and kind. And beautiful– he added after a small pause.

–Not all humans are as beautiful as me– Jim said with a chuckle that was halfway between joking and flirting. He did not fully agree with this sentiment, but he was not about to turn down a compliment from Spock if he was trying to seduce him. God knows he would not be getting this treatment often when he returned to his universe. –You lucked out in that respect– he added, making Spock titter in a way that sent a shiver to his groin.

Kirk paused for a moment, sighing as he looked up at the sky. Some streaks of purple were starting to loom in the horizon, heralding the arrival of the dusk. The landscape of the flats was turning rockier as they advanced, and stone formations in all sorts of odd shapes were becoming more and more common.

–I do think all humans are kind though. Deep down, at least– he added, burying his face into Spock's hair. Thoughtlessly, he ran his fingers through, toying with one of the thin braids that decorated it. Spock did not seem to mind.

–I guess I lucked out in that respect also– the Vulcan responded, putting the hatchet down as he stopped working on the spear. –It is not safe to trust a stranger.–

Kirk straightened to look at him.

–But you are not a stranger, are you?– Spock added meaningfully, craning his neck to look back at Kirk.

–I suppose not– Kirk smiled honestly.

–Jim– Spock continued after a pause –sometimes I feel like you know me better than I know myself. Tell me, did you mean it? What you told me when we first met?– Kirk blinked, disconcerted for a second. –About my mother?–

–I meant no offense, Spock. In my universe, Amanda was your mother. I know this for sure– Jim explained. He could not understand how it would be possible for the same person to have different parents, even in another mirror universe. –Who was your mother here, Spock? Do you know for real?–

Spock paused.

–I am not certain– was his contemplative reply.

–Hey– said Jim teasingly, patting Spock's side before leaning in to whisper in mock secrecy –being human is not that bad.–

Spock looked back at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, and used the spear to smack Kirk on the thigh. Jim lost balance immediately and fell down from the sehlat's back with a yell. He glanced up at Spock from the ground as he rubbed his bruised rear.

–It is time to camp for the night– announced the Vulcan triumphantly as he cued I-Chaya for a halt, the smirk still firmly planted on his face.

As soon as they unloaded the burden from him, the tired sehlat plopped down near a red rectangular rock and stretched with a groan. He was asleep almost instantly. Kirk sat down and ate another khara stalk as Spock lay beside the animal, scratching his ears affectionately. Jim thought that he looked pensive, but did not press him. The tiredness from the heat and from riding the whole day without even so much as a saddle was catching up with Jim, and he did not have much to offer in the ways of conversation. When he finished eating, Spock beckoned for him to come over.

–It gets colder during the night– he said as he reached for a blanket. –We need to sleep close together to stay safe– he continued as he curled up against I-Chaya's large body and covered himself. He then held part of the blanket up, inviting Jim to join him.

Jim obeyed with hesitation. The amount of physical contact he was having with Spock during the past few days, while welcome, felt slightly intrusive to him. He knew that back on the Enterprise, Spock would be a lot more reserved. He didn't want to make Spock uncomfortable, but he supposed that if it was Spock himself making those requests, that could not be the case. The situation was different, and the environment was different, but that did not mean that this Spock was acting in un–Spock–like ways, as he was still the same person. To think so would be illogical, Kirk thought with a smile as he slipped beneath the blanket by his companion.

As soon as he laid down, Spock covered them both with the blanket and immediately draped himself all over Jim, slinging his leg over his hip and nuzzling into his shoulder as he clung to his chest. Jim took a deep breath as he sensed the heavy weight of the Vulcan's body pressing down on him and he tried to will away the blood that was rushing to his cheeks and to other parts of his body. He silently cursed his uniform for being between their skins. He turned to look at Spock's face and smiled to himself. His cheek was pressed flat and his eyes closed already. Jim wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and felt the Vulcan's breathing deepen gradually as he fell asleep. The lack of restrain from Surak's teachings just made him a bit more forward, that's all, Jim thought as he fell asleep himself, unfamiliar stars starting to fill the sky.

Kirk awoke the next morning to a deafening roar. He looked up to see I-Chaya towering over him as he stood on his hind legs, and the creature's demeanor was completely changed. He was baring his powerful fangs, his ears flat against his head as he growled deeply. Kirk followed his gaze and suddenly understood what was making him so nervous.

A few meters from him, Spock was on his back, kicking wildly as he used the spear to block the jaws of a creature that had pinned him down. It was about the size and build of a panther, with yellow diamond patterns on its coat. Kirk recognized it as a le-matya, another animal native to Vulcan that he had never seen before in the flesh. He reached instinctively for his phaser, only to remember he did not have it with him.

I-Chaya finally charged against the predator and knocked it off Spock easily with his massive body. Spock was on his feet immediately, and called the sehlat back before the le-matya's poisonous claws could connect with his hide. The predator hesitated for a moment before pouncing back towards the sehlat, and Spock speared it without hesitation on its flank. He shouted at I-Chaya, preventing the sehlat from charging again. The le-matya let out a sorrowful cry, which quickly turned into another angry roar as it fixed its eyes on Spock. He adjusted his grip on the spear and stared right back at the beast, unblinking and poised.

–Hey. Hey! Over here!– Kirk waved his arms as he jumped in place. Spock turned to look at him, his eyes wide in disbelief and alarm. But Kirk already had a plan, and he hoped Spock could deduce what it was.

The movement caught the predator's eye, and Spock noticed this small window of opportunity. Repositioning his grip on the spear, he whacked the creature as hard as he could across the face. Disoriented, the le-matya fell onto its back. Before it could bounce back up, Spock quickly climbed onto its body, and speared it through the heart in one merciless blow.

Kirk was fast by his side as Spock withdrew the spear. He was panting and there was fire in his eyes.

–I had it under control– Spock spat with a frown.

–Of course– Kirk said, and immediately hoped his sarcasm was not too evident. –Are you injured?–

–No. I need to check on I-Chaya– Spock ran by the sehlat with his hands outstretched, and calmed the animal down by hugging his muzzle. He ran his hands up and down his fur, checking for cuts from the le-matya's claws. –He is fine. He is growing too old for adventures like this– Spock added with a sigh of relief.

–I did not think there would be le-matyas this close to the city. Perhaps their watering holes beyond the flats are drying up.– Spock pondered after a few moments. –I put you in grave danger, Jim.–

–Don't worry. We are all fine, that is what counts– Kirk sighed as the adrenaline flushed from his body, leaving him already tired. He could not bear to think about losing Spock like this.

After taking one last deep breath, Spock ran his fingers through his long hair, pushing it back.

–Go and gather some of those shrubs over there– he requested, pointing towards a spot in the open flats. –The thorny ones with the red leaves. It is time for breakfast– he turned towards the shape of the le-matya with a voracious grin that unsettled Kirk slightly.

The dry shrubbery was useful in starting a small campfire, but finding actual wood for kindling proved a bit more difficult. Kirk had to walk for a while before reaching the nearest tree, a thin dead trunk on top of a rock plateau. By the time he had managed to cut it down and bring the pieces they needed back to the camp, Spock had completely skinned the le-matya and given most of the carcass to I-Chaya, who sat eating happily at a cautious distance from them.

–He is fat– Spock said bluntly –but he is running much more than he is used to. He deserves it.– was the final result of his analysis.

They built the campfire together and soon they were tearing into a juicy le-matya steak. Spock had found a specific shrub he knew was edible, and rubbed the waxy leaves into them as seasoning. He had even brought a small bottle of oil with his supplies. Kirk felt a bit strange eating with his hands like this, but he was grateful for the warm meal.

–You know– he said, trying to make conversation –I have never seen you eat meat before. Surak's teachings forbid it– he paused for a second to consider the accuracy of this claim, and then shrugged. –Well, maybe not entirely, I'm not sure. It is logical to eat meat in a case like this, after all.–

–Are Surak's teachings all about logic then?– Spock asked with his mouth full –Why is that so important?–

Jim paused to consider. He felt that he was not the right person to respond to these questions, but he supposed he had to try his best regardless.

–It is important to Vulcans because your emotions are specially intense. You are very strong, and you can act harshly sometimes–– Jim said tentatively. –Logic prevents you from being quick to anger and hurt each other. I guess all races could benefit from that, humans included– Jim added brightly.

–You said that Surak will bring peace and equality. You said he will save us. How do you know this is true?– Spock asked, his big dark eyes full of curiosity.

–In the universe I come from, all of this has already taken place. I have seen the place that Vulcan will become under his guidance– Jim said softly. –It is better for everybody. The history books explain that if Surak had failed in his mission, Vulcan would have soon succumbed to a nuclear civil war. Given that the clans are so quick to attack at the slightest provocation, I believe they are right. You have a great responsibility, Spock –he pondered. –Your world is at the most important crossroads in its history. It is your duty to ensure it goes in the right direction.–

Spock lowered his head in reflection as he chewed the last bites of his food. He seemed lost in thought as he extinguished the campfire and started preparing for the journey, and Jim thought it best to give him some space.

Perhaps Spock just needed a bit of time to process the implications of Surak's reforms, or perhaps the trip through the flats was lifting their spirits the closer they got to their destination in Shi'Kahr, or perhaps it was simply the tension from the encounter with the le-matya melting away over the next few hours; but by mid-morning, the two of them were talking animatedly again. They discussed what their daily lives had been like before their encounter; and Jim told Spock about some of his adventures in space, about the Enterprise and her crew, and even about what his counterpart was like as First Officer.

They rode steadfast through the flats, passing the strange geometrical formations that resulted from melting sand during the solar flare storms, the odd solitary tree, and even a herd of small, horned, pony–like creatures, which Spock informed Jim were called dzharel. By the end of the day, they felt as if they had known each other for years, which in a sense, they had. But seeing the way that Vulcans were before they adopted Surak's teachings had given Jim a much deeper understanding of his companion and the many facets of his planet's culture; and experiencing life in its landscapes, sensing it himself in his own flesh through their harsh journey across the desert was filling him with a profound appreciation for the planet Vulcan itself.

–OT'Khasi– Spock had corrected him teasingly as Jim had tried to explain. –Only outworlders call it Vulcan. Her name is oT'Khasi.– he turned back with a smirk on his face that made Jim's heart glow.

Night was falling fast around them, but Spock insisted they push onward today. The landscape was becoming increasingly rockier around them as they advanced, and at one point Spock had directed I-Chaya to climb precariously up a low stone plateau that stretched out in front of them, blocking their path. When they reached the top, Kirk noticed that its surface was immense, so vast he could not see the end. The ground beneath them was now nothing but solid rock, and they were approaching a small, sharp mountain range. Beyond them, a cluster of city lights flickered in the distance.

–We are close to the caves– Spock explained.– They're a safe place to spend the night, and from there it will only be a couple hours until we arrive at Shi'Kahr. If we set off early tomorrow, we can be in the city by dawn.–

–Spock, I have been thinking– replied Kirk distractedly. –I think something brought me here through the storm.–

–What do you mean?– he asked, turning around as much as he could on the back of the sehlat to look at Jim.

–Spock... I mean, you, back in my starship, once told me about a bond that united us– Jim continued. He was more pondering out loud than making a grand statement, but the comment made Spock gasp softly. –I am not entirely sure what you meant though. Humans don't have that kind of skill in the way that Vulcans do. Do you think that bond could have led me here? Of all the planets to land on, and of all the places on this planet, I landed right in your line of sight. It's too much to be a coincidence.– Jim furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

Spock's eyes darted around, and he furrowed his brow as he tried to find the words to explain what a bond was to a non–Vulcan.

–A bond is... the force of two people who are joined together. Once it is formed, it is not easily broken. –he considered. –I have felt it too, for you, but I had doubts. A bond does pull its people back towards each other in time. I have never heard of someone going into a mirror universe before I met you, but I suppose it is not entirely unthinkable that it would pull you to me on the other side.– Spock stopped for a second and pointed up at the sky, where two stars were shining bright already, side by side, one white and one red. As distant suns, they could very well be billions of light years apart, and belong to entirely different planetary systems; but when seen from the ground of oT'Khasi, they were so close they could be touching.

–Those two stars have a bond of their own, in a way– Spock continued, hoping Jim would understand this metaphor better. –Like us, they are apart, and yet always together.– Spock paused and lowered his gaze, and then whispered, more to himself than to Jim:

–They are in love.–

Jim smiled more brightly than any star, though Spock did not see it. He tightened his arms around the Vulcan and held him close, feeling him throw his head back to nuzzle into his own as they continued riding towards the caves in the distance.

When they finally arrived near the mountain range, Spock bundled up some spare rope and shrubbery to the tip of the spear to make a torch, and set it alight before wandering off to inspect the terrain up close. He told Jim that he was apprehensive about sleeping in a cave that was too large or connected to a larger system, as there could be predators hiding inside. After a few tries, they finally located one that seemed a bit smaller, but once they brought I-Chaya down with them, they found out the sehlat's large body took too much room and pushed them uncomfortably against the rock. The sehlat flopped down, exhausted, and refused to move to let them back outside.

–Wait– piped Spock –I think I can see a tunnel. Follow me– he instructed as he ducked into a small opening in the wall of rock, crawling on all fours.

When they came out the other side, they realized they were on a bigger chamber of roughly 10 square meters, with sharp stalagmites rising from the ground. The dark rock contained small shards of crystal that shone in the flickering light of the torch, and the moist smell and darkness felt heavenly to Jim after two days of travel across the flats. Spock sized up the place, and after checking behind the larger rocks for any hidden danger, he called Jim over and pointed at the ground wordlessly.

There was a small puddle at the foot of one of the stalagmites. It was not much, but the water was cool and clean, and after a whole day of consuming no liquids except for the sap from the khara stalks they had collected, Jim appreciated the relief it offered. He took long, deep gulps of water, and splashed some on his face while Spock arranged the torch and their belongings and found an even place on the rocky ground to lay down to sleep.

Jim returned from the back of the cave and sat beside him with a content sigh. Spock smiled at him, his sallow skin shining in the firelight.

–Spock, I meant to ask you something more... about the bond– Jim started. Spock sat up to look at him attentively. –Is a bond the same thing as a mind meld?– Jim added hurriedly –I mean, I've heard about mind melds, but I've never done it, at least, I don't think you've done it to me, and I was wondering if it's...–

–It is not the same thing– Spock interrupted –but many who are bonded mind meld. And many who mind meld become bonded as a result. To be that close with someone else can leave a mark on you forever. You can always see inside someone's heart when you touch, of course...– Spock said dismissively, and Jim flinched as he recollected thinking about Spock's ass while he was clinging onto him for dear life on the flats –but a mind meld is much deeper.– Spock finished.

–Would you... would you like to show me?– Jim asked softly. –Only if you want to.–

–Yes.– Spock crouched beside him, and leaned in close. He was staring right into Jim's eyes as he reached his hand towards his face...

In a single instant, he knew Spock fully and completely. One would say he knew him better than he knew himself, but this would be inaccurate. He knew him just as he knew himself, he felt Spock's emotions and his memories and his doubts and his fears, and his hopes for the future that Kirk had promised him, as intimately as if they were his own. It was not that they were reading each other's minds, but rather that, just like the water of two rivers joining in a confluence, during the moments that the meld lasted, it became impossible to separate his own self from Spock's.

Jim could not tell how much time they spent melding. Thoughts overlapped each other and time did not seem to have much meaning in this dimension of the mind. Slowly, gradually, the influence of Spock's thoughts and emotions started to wane, like a moon passing across a sun during an eclipse. When Jim opened his eyes again, they were back in the cave, and Spock had withdrawn his hand from his face. They both felt changed in a way that seemed crucial, and the bond that united them had been seared into the very essence of who they were.

The Vulcan sat back and stared straight up ahead for a few moments, before asking:

–Do humans not mind meld at all?–

–No– Kirk replied. –We do not have the capacity like Vulcans do. We cannot tell what others are thinking when we touch them either– he shrugged softly.

Spock considered his reply for a few seconds, looking perturbed.

–Are you not lonely?–

The question hang in the air for a few moments before Kirk answered:

–No. Not really. Not as long as we have those we love around us– he asserted.

–I am Vulcan, and yet I am lonely.– Spock said dryly after a heavy pause. –Even before I was banished from the clan, nobody wanted me for a mate. I have always been lonely. At least I was until I found you.– he turned to Jim before his expression darkened even deeper, and looked away at the ceiling of the cave. He paused for a few moments, holding his knees up against his chest.

–Jim– Spock said softly at last, turning back to look at him –you really are going to leave, aren't you? When we get to the Starfleet base?–

Jim considered this for a few seconds and sighed. As much as he wanted to stay, he really had no choice.

–I have to– he replied, closing his eyes. –If the bond pulls me to you, then it also pulls me back to the Spock in my own universe. I cannot leave you alone there either– the sorrow in his voice was sincere. –I am sorry. OT'Khasi is not my place.–

–You keep speaking of this other Spock back in your starship– the Vulcan said almost angrily, his knuckles white as he gripped his own knees hard. –Why isn't there a Jim for me?–

Kirk considered the question for a moment. He could not see a reason why a counterpart of himself wouldn't exist in this universe. Hell, if they were right, and their bond was so strong that it could pull them together across dimensions, wouldn't it be pulling this universe's Kirk towards this Spock also, with a much bigger force?

–Spock– Kirk ventured –there could be. There is.– he corrected himself. He could not imagine a universe cruel enough to create Spock and not Kirk, a universe that would not allow them to meet on their own terms. Maybe this was part of his mission. Maybe this was not only about the destiny of Vulcan, but about Spock's destiny as well. And that destiny could not be anywhere but by Jim's side.

–I don't know where he is...– Jim trailed off as his train of thought continued. Starfleet was obviously the perfect place to start looking. –But I have a feeling they might know at the base. When we go there, I will ask for him also before I go.– he turned to look at Spock, whose eyes were bright and full of tenderness. –I am not going to leave you alone.–

–Thank you– Spock replied with a sigh. He paused before reaching out to take Jim's hand in his, and stroked circles into it softly with his thumb.

–This other Jim is not here now, though. Only you and I.– he said, arching his eyebrows. His smile carried a hint of ferocity that made Jim shift. Spock laid his head by Jim's shoulder as his eyes roamed up and down the human's body.

Jim was not going to let this chance escape. Spock was Spock, after all. Even back on the Enterprise, their attraction was magnetic. They had waited too long already.

–Spock– Jim said, his face getting slightly closer to Spock's without even noticing –do you know how humans kiss?–

–No– Spock's eyes were trained on Jim's face intently as the gap between them narrowed more and more.

–Do you want me to show you?– Jim breathed, and Spock nodded ever so slightly.

Jim closed his eyes as their lips finally met, and for a moment, everything in the universe fell into place for them both.


	5. The Cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally only smut, so if this is not your thing, you can skip it and pick up in the next chapter and not miss any plot. Thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying the fic so far!

Jim broke away from the kiss after a few moments to look at Spock. His wild dark hair framed his toned shoulders and muscular chest as a tinge of blush spread across his face. Spock blinked incredulously, but he immediately went for a second kiss, and this time he applied much more pressure in his urgency. Jim chuckled and was met with Spock's hand grabbing his chin roughly to keep him in place as he kept pressing his lips against Jim's, hard.

Jim wanted to teach Spock everything he could about how humans kiss to show affection, just like Spock had been patient in showing him how to mind meld. Jim's tongue darted out and gently pushed between Spock's parted lips.

The kiss was cut off abruptly as Spock pulled back, touching his own lips with his fingers, staring at Jim with bewildered eyes. After a few moments, he stated simply:

– I... enjoy it – his face slowly broke into a smirk, and pulled Jim into a tight embrace to kiss him again. This time Spock took Jim's cue and pushed his own tongue into his mouth forcefully. Jim found himself smiling against the Vulcan´s  earnest  lips once again. He was full of honest affection, even if he was still a bit rough and unskilled. He lost himself in the kiss and inadvertently started nipping softly on Spock's lips. Spock took this as an invitation to return the bite, and it made him yelp and break away.

– Please, be gentle – Jim chided him. Spock lowered his gaze apologetically and then leaned quietly into Jim for another kiss, which he accepted. After a few moments he found himself deepening the kiss once more, as Spock draped his arms around him and pulled him closer.

Jim ran his hands through Spock's long hair as they kissed, and descended down his back, caressing him until he reached his waist. He could feel Spock's hands roaming passionately across his body in return, and gasped when he felt them slide underneath his uniform shirt and touch his bare skin for the first time. His touch was demanding and strong as he stroked his stomach and chest, and Jim felt his blood rush steadily to his groin at the sensation. Spock broke the kiss to pull Kirk's uniform over his head impatiently, and rapidly continued kissing him deeply, nibbling on his lip. Kirk took this as an invitation to allow his hands to roam lower down Spock's body, past his waist, and gripped his ass tightly over the loincloth.

Spock's hips bucked and he was on top of Jim, grinding against his hand. He was kissing Jim so passionately that they could hardly breathe. Jim reached to hold Spock's ass with both hands, and sneaked one of them beneath the loincloth he was wearing. He was not very surprised to discover Spock was wearing nothing underneath, but that did not stop him from groaning in arousal at the discovery. Jim's cock was now fully erect, pressing into Spock's bare thigh through his trousers, as his fingers caressed the smooth skin of Spock's ass wantonly. He gave the sculpted cheeks a pert slap which made Spock yelp, and the Vulcan pulled away to gaze into his eyes:

– I want to mate with you- he panted heavily.  – I could just pin you down and claim you – Spock growled,  – but I will not ravish you without your permission. –

Kirk nodded silently, thinking to himself that getting pinned down while Spock claimed him didn't sound that bad anyway. His thoughts were interrupted as Spock grabbed his uniform pants and pulled them down savagely, without even unfastening them first, leaving him in his underwear. Thankfully they did not break, though Kirk briefly, before noticing Spock was at his feet, pulling at his boots awkwardly as he did not know how to remove them. He sat up and unfastened them, sliding out of them quickly.

– You wear so many clothes – Spock complained, noticing Jim's socks as he took them off as well. The Vulcan was crouching on the rocky ground with his legs open, his erection evident against the thin loincloth. Jim simply smiled coyly and beckoned Spock back to his side, reaching down to grab his cock once he had settled beside him.

Spock gasped at the contact and was immediately on Jim, kissing and nibbling and biting at the skin on his neck and chest. He grabbed his nipples with lustful hands and Jim flinched. He bit his lip as he started stroking Spock's member slowly, and pushed the loincloth aside to get a good view of it. It was not dissimilar to a human penis, the only differences being that it had a couple of ridges encircling the tip, and an ashen color from the Vulcan blood rushing to it. It was, however, the biggest one Jim had ever seen in any of his partners. Spock was tall and strong and his genitals reflected this proportion. Jim sighed as he watched his own hand slide up and down the shaft, eliciting groans of pleasure from the flushed Vulcan.

Spock shifted, and his strong hand gripped Jim's throbbing cock as he pulled his underwear down with a rough shove. He gave it a couple of tugs that made Jim moan in a way he hadn't in a long time. Spock untangled himself from Jim's caresses to admire his naked partner with a ravenous smile, and in a moment, he was back on top of him with the urgency of a wild animal, hands grabbing and pulling as he pushed Jim's legs open with his knees.

– Wait! – Kirk cried, and Spock retreated, sitting back on his knees. Jim knelt in front of him and helped Spock stand, then pushed him gently so he could lean on one of the stalagmites nearby. He placed his hands on Spock's thighs, and, with an affectionate smile, began licking his member softly.

Spock threw his head back, groaning, and tangled one of his hands into his own long hair in desperation. Jim smiled to himself. He was proud of his skills, and he was about to show Spock what pleasure really meant. He hummed as he licked the throbbing member before swallowing it entirely. He found it difficult to take the whole cock into his mouth, as it was big enough to make him gag, so he withdrew back slightly and busied himself with sucking on the first half of the length, bobbing his head up and down quickly. Spock panted and growled and made sounds that Jim did not think he was capable of making. Jim ran his tongue along the length expertly, sucking and applying pressure in all the right places.

He pulled back and stared up at Spock mischievously before opening his mouth wide and letting the head tap against his exposed tongue a few times. Spock grabbed his shoulder roughly and used the purchase to buck into Jim's open mouth, meeting his rhythm with every thrust. Jim was soon gagging and choking and pulled away as tears welled up in his eyes, struggling to breathe.

-You are an animal- he said with a praising smirk. Jim liked it when his lovers were a bit rough with him, and he had never expected he would get to experience this sort of treatment with Spock. It made him feel wanted, and spurred his desire to meet the Vulcan's demands. Spock steadied himself and panted for breath, watching him avidly. In a few moments they were on the ground again, and Spock loomed over him, biting his chest as his hands grabbed onto Jim's behind right away, separating his ass cheeks. Jim felt an eager, probing finger wandering dangerously down between them...

– Wait here – Jim instructed, pushing Spock off him as the Vulcan huffed impatiently. He walked over to the bags containing their belongings and grabbed the vial of oil that Spock had brought along. He turned and trotted back towards Spock, who was kneeling on the ground again, his muscular frame glistening in the torchlight.

Jim poured some oil onto his hand and laid back, spreading his legs open. He looked back at Spock to see him watching him intently and unblinking, entranced by the view. Jim smiled enticingly as he coated his fingers thoroughly and applied oil liberally around the entrance of his ass, and with a hiss, pushed a couple of fingers inside his body.

– It will hurt if I don't prepare – he explained to Spock between gasps.

Spock nodded in agreement. He reached out to stroke Jim's cock again as he worked his fingers in and out, taking deep breaths to help himself relax, preparing his ass as quickly as he could for the delicious punishment that was to come. He sighed as he added another finger, moving them within his body, pumping them in and out a few times tentatively, biting his lip as the first moans started to escape his throat.

Spock was eyeing him hungrily, his eyes lidded and his breathing erratic, entranced by the sight of Jim's fingers disappearing into the enticing little opening. Jim finally extracted his fingers and reached to grab Spock's member and guide him in. He felt he could have used more preparation, but Spock's urgency seemed painful and he did not want to keep him waiting. He had taken men before and in spite of Spock's size, he was not scared.

The girthy tip of the muscular Vulcan member pressed against his entrance, and Jim moaned like an absolute slut as it breached the ring of muscle. He took several deep breaths to help himself relax, but it still felt like it was stretching him to his limits. It did not help that Spock just kept pushing himself in more and more, slowly but relentlessly. There was a brief pause, and Jim looked down thinking he was buried to the hilt; only to discover, to his alarm, that he was only about halfway through. He tossed his head back with a gasp as Spock continued filling him up, inch by inch, stretching the muscles inside his rectum with his unforgiving girth.

He bottomed out with a painful grunt. Once he was fully sheathed inside, Spock re-positioned himself above Jim to gain some more purchase and started pumping his hips softly, gripping his thighs apart with his powerful hands, sliding in and out the tight human body beneath him with difficulty. Jim looked up at him lovingly, and his face quickly twisted in a moan of pleasure. Spock picked up the pace quickly, panting quietly, and, pinned under his taller frame, Jim simply opened his legs even further to allow him better access to his most intimate areas.

– Spock – he pleaded between moans  – don't stop... ah! – he cried after a particularly vigorous thrust. Jim could think of nothing but the friction inside him and his cock bobbing against Spock's stomach. The Vulcan was picking up the pace gradually, and his face was now buried in Jim's neck. He would kiss and bite and lick any spot of the human's smooth skin he could reach from this position, wanting to cover him in marks, claim him, brand him.

– Relax,  ashayam . I promise you will like it. – he grunted into his ear.

The cock in his ass still felt huge, but Jim had managed to tolerate the twinges of pain for long enough that now they had turned into wave after wave of delicious pleasure. He brushed Spock's hair out of the way and finally sank his teeth into the lobe of his pointed ear, like he had been aching to do for years.

The result was precisely what he had expected. Spock moaned and bucked his hips into him, but he had trouble keeping the pace of his movements as Jim punished his ears expertly, licking along the line of the outer shell, sucking gently on its pointed tip, planting kisses along the tragus and biting into the softness of the lobes playfully as Spock moaned and whined and cried out all sorts of needy, wordless sounds.

But the member inside him was relentless, and Jim released his ear with a gasp he could contain no longer. Spock was sliding in and out of him with ease by now, brushing past his prostate with every thrust. It was too much for Jim. Pleasure gripped him completely as he held Spock's muscular arms and screamed:

– Spock! I'm gonna... I'm gonna... ah! –

The cum erupted from his cock as he trailed off into a wordless cry that resonated across the cave, but Spock did not stop. The Vulcan let out a cry of pleasure as Jim's ass spasmed around his member and rode his orgasm out, and immediately went back to thrusting his cock into the human's body at the same wild pace.

– You are a good mate – Spock muttered between pants  – it feels amazing. –

Jim smiled as he ran his hands over Spock's muscular chest, glistening in the torchlight. His cock was starting to harden again at the action happening in his ass, and Jim bit his lip as he pinched one of Spock's nipples. It drew a contented sigh from the Vulcan, who urged Jim wordlessly to do it again by pushing his chest out at him. Jim obeyed and flicked his other nipple, then rolled them both between his fingers. He then hugged Spock close to him, as close as he could, all the while while he made love to him implacably. Jim's asshole was starting to quiver, and it drove the Vulcan wild. Jim noticed the thrusts were increasing in vigor, if such a thing was even possible.

– What a brute – Jim chuckled affectionately. Spock stopped what he was doing and pulled out entirely to look into his eyes.

– You are not enjoying it? – he asked with a worried frown.

– I do – Jim whined as he ground his hips against Spock's needily, trying to spur him on to continue.  – I'm just not used to sex like this – he said. Sex with a person who mattered to him more than any other. Sex with someone with whom he shared a bond deeper than that which he could form with any human partner. Sex that was both wild and affectionate and more than he thought he could bear but not more than he could actually tolerate.

Spock smiled wickedly, and, without so much as a warning, grabbed Kirk's waist and flipped him over in a single movement with his inhuman strength. Kirk landed on his knees and elbows, his cheek flat against the rough surface of the stone below him. He cried out as Spock's cock sank into him in a single thrust once again.

– You will get used to it – groaned Spock. Jim wondered if this was what Vulcans were secretly like in private, even after restraining their emotions with the teachings of Surak. Would Spock take him like this every night, once he got back to the Enterprise? He shuddered and smiled lasciviously at the thought.

His companion was ruthless and strong, and after a while he brought Jim to an explosive orgasm again, his pearly seed spilling messily all over the rocky ground beneath him. Once again he continued rutting into him as if nothing had happened. Not only was his ass burning, but also his knees and palms from the roughness of the rocks he was holding on to. He was going to be sore for days. The stamina that Vulcans had developed to survive in the desert clearly had other uses, Jim smiled to himself.

– Spock... Ah! Spock! – Jim cried  – You're... oh!... you're insatiable... –

Spock leaned down and hugged Jim close from behind, and then straightened himself back up, bringing the human up to a seating position on his lap. The change in angle made Jim moan wantonly, his prostate still attacked relentlessly by the Vulcan's huge member with every thrust. This position allowed Spock to sink even deeper into him than he had before. It was almost too much for Jim to bear, and he threw his head back to rest it against Spock's shoulder.

– Maut rom... Khrawufik... – Spock muttered breathlessly into Jim's ear, punctuating the next movement of his hips with a bestial groan.

Jim's face was bright red, his mouth open as he glistened with sweat in his exhaustion. He could do nothing else at this point but hang there, barely supported by his slack, spread legs and Spock's strong arms around him, and let the Vulcan claim him again and again. He threw his head back and let out no sound other than rhythmic little cries as Spock bred him like a fucking animal.

He felt his rectum tighten as another orgasm took him, and screamed as hard as he could, every muscle in his body tensing as tears streamed down his face and some drool leaked from his slack jaw. He ejaculated once more, this time soiling his stomach. By this point he was trembling weakly, and he was so sore that every erratic thrust was starting to feel painful inside him.

With a loud grunt, Spock finally reached his orgasm too, and he spilled his cum inside Jim, steadying his ass with a powerful hand as he shivered. Once he was finished, he pulled out, his abundant seed spilling in generous gushes out of the abused, twitching hole, and running down the inside of Jim's thighs.

Spock collapsed, and pulled Jim down by his side like a dead weight. He soon clambered on top of his human, embracing him completely, covering his body with his. Jim hugged him back and shifted slightly to brush some hair out of Spock's face. The Vulcan looked back at him adoringly. They were both panting erratically, trying to catch their breath.

– Damn, Spock... – flinched Jim with an impressed smile.

The Vulcan simply grunted in reply, too tired to form coherent words in Federation Standard. He shifted back besides Jim and held him while they both stared into the darkness of the cave. The flickering light of the torch made the crystals in the rock glisten in a way that reminded them both of the stars in the sky.

Finally, Spock leaned over and kissed Jim again, this time softly and tenderly. He then nuzzled into his neck and whispered:

– You must be tired. Please sleep, you are safe. –

– I know, Spock. Thank you. Thank you so much for everything – he added thoughtfully. Spock simply smiled at him. As unusual as it still felt sometimes to see Spock smile openly like this, Jim recognized the familiar energy that passed between them all too well. At times like this, it felt like words were no longer necessary between them.

Their breathing calmed gradually as they both drifted off into a contented, dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vulcan translations:
> 
> Maut rom... Khrawufik... = So good... fucking tight...


	6. Shi'Kahr

Jim awoke to the weight of Spock pressing him down against the rocky ground of the cave. The torch had burned to a stump through the night, and the cave was in complete darkness. He had no way of knowing what time it was, and a wave of fear rushed over him. What if they were too late to find Surak at the festival?

–Spock! Spock, Wake up!– he shook the sleeping Vulcan gently. Spock sighed sleepily and stretched. –What time is it?– Jim urged him.

–Still early, but we should set off soon– he responded.

Jim was not sure of how Spock could tell, but he did not question it. Spock stood up and was quickly gone from his side. He tried to follow him, and promptly bumped into a stalagmite. It was so dark he could not see his hand in front of his own face, but Spock was walking to and fro effortlessly as he gathered their belongings. He handed Kirk his clothes and, after they cleaned up and got dressed, he commanded him to follow as they crawled back through the narrow tunnel that lead to the first cave, where I-Chaya was still sleeping. Kirk scooted past the massive shape of the sleeping sehlat and out onto the plateau.

The light was not as harsh as he had originally expected, and it was clearly still early, as the dawn of the Eridani sun had still not broken on the horizon. Kirk gazed into the distance. He could see the skyline of the city of Shi'Kahr past the mountains to the east, an ancient town made of jagged buildings contained by a defensive wall.

–We will be there before dawn.–

Spock was quickly by his side, having woken I-Chaya up with more hugs than usual and prepared him for the journey. They then mounted the animal, who set off at a sleepy pace towards their destination.

It only took them a couple of hours to reach the city gates; by the time they arrived the shadows of Shi'Kahr's towers loomed over them as they stretched in the rising sun. It was still early and the outskirts of the city were relatively quiet, but there were already a few other travelers, visitors and merchants weaving in and out of the gates in small groups.

They noticed what appeared to be a family heading out of the city and in their direction. A richly-dressed woman sat on a heavily saddled sehlat, while a man her age and a younger boy followed, their own sehlat lagging lazily a few meters behind. Spock slowed down and inspected them from afar, narrowing his eyes as if trying to discern detail. He then dismounted I-Chaya and beckoned for Jim to do the same. They headed towards them on foot, and when they approached, the woman looked at the tattoo on Spock's left arm closely before saying cheerfully:

–Ah, sa-kan t'maat t'S'chn T'gai! Tor du nash-irak s'seflar ra, k'diwa–

–Okosu t'T’Mihn– Spock said with a nod. –Ma tek'ik palutunau svi'Shi'Kahr– he said, pointing towards the city.

–Ish-veh tfi'kien ha– asked the boy excitedly, and the other male elbowed him into silence.

Spock continued with a smile.

–Kup fun-tor odular nash-sehlat na'ith'du t'etek ha.–

–Ri kup nem-tor wuh'ashiv sehlat– replied the man with a disapproving frown. The woman shot an angry look back at him.

–Goh za-gad vesht yokul– explained Spock, patting I-Chaya's hind affectionately. –Vesht nam-tor T'Pau be'kunel-zehl dah-za-gad.–

–Rom. Aitlu nash-kar-zhel svi'di'kizh– she said, pointing at Spock's arm. Spock took off one of his many armlets, approached the woman and offered it up to her.

–Heh nash-vik’talu isha– she added after examining the bracelet and storing it in the folds of her dress. Spock removed one of his necklaces and gave it to her with a disapproving frown. He then turned to I-Chaya and hugged the creature's muzzle. He held on to it tightly as he closed his eyes, rubbing his head into the animal's, whispering gently beside him:

–Rom halan, os-thrah. Nam'uh korsauk. Rok-tor ragel-tor etek va'ashiv.–

The young boy dismounted the sehlat he was riding, and approached Spock tentatively. Spock opened his eyes again and forced a sad smile as he helped the child onto I-Chaya's back. After a moment, the boy spurred the creature on and the family departed slowly, making their way towards the flats. I-Chaya turned to look at Spock with a soft groan as the Vulcan reached his hand out towards him as a departing gesture.

–Sanosh, k'diwa! Dungi na'shaya t'du na'maat!– shouted the woman behind her, and Spock nodded his head.

After a few moments, he then turned to Jim and beckoned him as he started walking towards the city once again.

–They are from a friendly clan. They will take I-Chaya to my father back at the camp.– Spock explained, trying to look cheerful for his companion without success.

There were guards stationed around the city gates, standing menacingly tall and brandishing their lirpas, but they were not inspecting every single person that passed through the gates. They took one look at Spock and Jim, and though their eyes did linger a bit longer on the human, they quickly confirmed that they were welcome to pass with a nod of their heads.

The activity inside the city was clearly picking up fast, and the streets were filling up with Vulcan passers-by and the odd outworlder dotted around. Some merchants were setting up colorful tents and tables along the city walls and against the buildings near the gates, selling food, clothes, and all kinds of wares to the travelers. A few of them were simply standing in the street, with trays full of small vials of Rillan grease strapped to their shoulders. Even though it was getting noisier by the minute, Kirk realized that he could hear the faint sound of the hustle and bustle coming from the direction of the city center. He looked around and noticed the tall towers of the richer districts standing proudly, pointing him in the correct direction.

Kirk noted that most of the Vulcans around them seem to be in alarming states of undress. The majority of the men wore loincloths like Spock's, though most were clearly made of prettier fabrics. They also sported similar long, wild hair that some chose to braid it intricate patterns; as well as distinct tattoos in Vulcan script. Kirk then noticed a few who were stark naked, casually walking down the street. He observed as a man picked up a vial of grease from a street merchant, then disrobed entirely and started rubbing the substance on his body.

–Spock, what is he doing?– Jim asked, confounded.

–It's the festival of Rumarie– Spock shrugged, as if this was the most obvious thing in the universe.

Before Jim could ask him anything else, Spock seemed to spot something ahead of them, and took to running. Kirk stood, frazzled for a second, before seeing that Spock was darting straight towards a fountain. The large, square basin of black stone was usually empty and merely used as a statue, but the city clans had filled it to the brim with rare water as a show of hospitality to the festival goers. Spock jumped in with a leap and emerged a second later, his hair dripping wet and his loincloth floating around his waist. He closed his eyes and threw his head back, and stood for a second as if relishing the contact of the liquid against his skin. Kirk followed suit, and decided that, even though he could not show up to the base dripping wet, he should take advantage of the opportunity also. He took off his shirt and splashed water on his face and chest. Spock stood completely still, seemingly oblivious to what his companion was doing.

After a few moments, he turned to Jim, smiled with relief, and stepped out of the fountain. He swung his hair behind him powerfully, and started walking away with determination. As Kirk was putting his shirt on again and arranging his hair, he noticed that Spock was by one of the nearby food stands. After discussing something with the men running it, he offered them one of his beaded bracelets, and strode back towards him holding two containers of food.

–It's ameelah, you will like it– he said, offering one of the boxes to Jim. He used the small skewer provided to take one of the sticky, sugary slices of fruit to his mouth. The taste reminded him of fried banana.

–Spock, do Vulcans not use money?– Kirk asked between bites, thinking on the interaction that had just taken place.

–People in the city do, but I don't have any– he shrugged.

Kirk was about to ask him more questions, but their conversation was interrupted by a commotion nearby. A small group of Vulcans were standing on a stone bench nearby, addressing the passers-by as some of them stopped and gathered around to listen. They stood out from the naked crowd with their heavy robes and characteristic bowl cuts, and Kirk felt like he was staring straight into his textbook on Vulcan history from the Academy.

He immediately recognized the young Nirak, the philosopher who would take up the torch of Surak's logic disciplines after his death. Close by him stood T'mor, the mathematician, and Snovekh, the calligrapher. Jarok, who would go on to develop a whole philosophical discipline to rival Surak's, stood close by, looking nervously as the festival-goers huddled around them. Next to him was T'Plana-Hath, the historian, who would be remembered as the matron of Vulcan philosophy. And at the center of their group stood Surak, the young prodigy, with his brown hair and blue eyes that were so unusual among Vulcans. His voice was commanding but impassive as he addressed the gathering crowd in the street:

–Fayei esta-irak-nahan, vun wein-tor wadi t'etek na'lof n-an'woi khar-esta. Fokarikau nash-torai wuhsu'es heh zherka-tash t'etek. Bolau sai-vel-tor dular heh kroi n'Rumarie.–

–Hal'uh na'ha-kel, Surak! Va'ashiv dungi pla'kruslar-kwul-tor kahr-lan, sa-mekh t'du!– someone shouted mockingly from the crowd, but was quickly hushed into silence by other bystanders.

–Dungi ta'saven-tor n'tupa pa'ozhika svi'mahr-kahkrus. Sanu sarlah'uh kuv qlar'hy– Surak stated laconically, and proceeded to step down and set off towards the city center with his group in tow.

Spock tapped Kirk urgently on the arm:

–We need to get to the marketplace right now– he whispered urgently. Kirk nodded and turned to follow Spock, and they both took to running through the streets as fast as their legs could carry them.

Kirk was lagging a few steps behind Spock, his boots clattering loudly against the stone pavement. It was not difficult to find the way towards the center, and they were certain they were going in the right direction as the streets gradually became more crowded and the towers grew closer and closer. They turned corners and jumped over unpaved potholes, narrowly avoiding bumping into festival goers every now and again as they got closer and closer to their destination.

Finally, they arrived to what seemed to be a large plaza, which Kirk assumed was the marketplace. More traders and clans had set up tents against the stone walls of the towers surrounding the square, which were decorated with banners of fabric bearing Vulcan script and images of mythological figures. A large monolith stood in the center of the square, and a growing number of naked, oiled Vulcans chased each other around it, screaming and laughing wildly. Some others gathered on the steps that overlooked the plaza as they sat watching the mayhem unfold or recovering from the chase themselves.

–Look, Jim– Spock said, pointing at a tent that was propped up against the corner of one of the buildings, just barely visible between the larger, more colorful ones. It was simple, small and dark green; and two large, scowling guards stood by the entrance. From the angle Kirk and Spock were looking from they could see the large, red tattoos on their backs.

–They are of the Shi'al clan– explained Spock –Surely this is where the device is hidden. How are we going to stop them?– he leaned in conspiratorially.

–We need a plan– said Kirk decisively, his gaze fixed on the unassuming tent.

At first, they had no doubt that their plan would work. Kirk managed to slip undetected into the tent from the side as Spock distracted the guards, chatting with them animatedly in Vulcan and trying to lure them away from the tent as far as he could by asking all sorts of questions about the festival. Once he was inside, Kirk quickly noticed a large wooden box, and managed to force it open. Inside it was the nuclear bomb that they had been looking for, he had no doubt about that. The device was roughly square-shaped, about half a meter long on each side, and didn't really have a cover, leaving its coils and wires and canisters open to manipulation. Jim concluded that the wooden box it had been inside of had acted as its casing, and the Shi'ar clan had not thought it relevant to protect it any further since they kept it hidden safely inside the tent. The fact that it was shoddy and looked home-made should have been reassuring, but instead it filled Kirk with more dread. Surely many of the clans in Vulcan could put together devices like these. He was here to deactivate this specific bomb, but it was imperative that Surak lived to see the Reformation through so the clans would stop posing this much of a threat to each other. There was no hope for the planet otherwise.

Jim turned the device around carefully in the box, unable to tell where it started and where it ended. He was finally able to discern the canister that contained the uranium, which was attached to a second canister through a thin metal tube. Jim assumed this second canister contained the fission fuel that would activate the bomb. They were both surrounded by a series of cables, tubes and electronic devices. Jim was looking for the detonator, since he would be able to neutralize the entire bomb if he managed to remove it. He could not find it.

It took him a few moments until it dawned on him: perhaps there was no detonator. He had been thinking about this using his knowledge of nuclear bombs that he had learned in his Terran history class, but clearly the Vulcans had a whole different way of constructing them. This bomb seemed to consist of a series of amplifiers attached to the fuel. They were thinking of detonating the bomb from the outside, perhaps by firing at the fuel or setting it ablaze. He had no way of neutralizing the bomb without disassembling it himself.

He heard the conversation between Spock and the guards outside become more and more agitated. Spock would not be able to keep them distracted forever. He had to think fast. He decided he would try the only other thing he could think of: separate the uranium canister from the rest of the device. He gripped it firmly with one hand as he felt the wires connected to it. His hand followed their trail until he found a connector. It was also linked to the pipe that joined the two canisters together. Jim surmised that if he could break the connector cleanly, the fuel would not reach the uranium canister, and would simply spill on the wooden box. If his movements were not fast enough, if he hesitated even for a second, the fuel would flood the inside of the uranium compartment, and the bomb could detonate right in his hand with the slightest spark.

The voices of the guards outside the tent were growing louder and louder in their shouting. Kirk could have sworn he heard a loud smack.

He gripped the connector with all the strength he could muster...

Just as he broke it apart, Spock tumbled unceremoniously into the tent, followed by the two furious guards. Kirk quickly slammed the wooden box shut and kicked it to the side, hiding the canister behind his own back. Without the ignition fuel nearby, the canister should be safe, as long as they kept it away from the clan's hands. The guards took a confused look at Kirk and growled, cracking their knuckles threateningly.

Spock was stumbling back onto his feet, and he shared a confident nod with Kirk. Their plan had not succeeded in the way that they expected, but the bomb had been deactivated, and that was the most crucial thing right now, and now they just had to improvise their way out. In moments like these, their bond would permit them to know each other's thoughts with such precision that words were unnecessary.

Spock lunged at the guard savagely, and Kirk took this opportunity to kick the wooden beams that were holding up the tent. The tarp that covered it fell to the ground, and Kirk crawled out of its side clumsily. He stood outside for a few seconds, unsure of how to proceed, and took a look around. Most of the crowd was paying attention to the strange ceremony in the center of the plaza, and the collapse of the tent seemed to have gone mostly unnoticed.

Spock emerged from the fallen tarp himself a few seconds later. He pushed his hair out of his face hurriedly and pointed wordlessly beyond the monolith across the square. Surak's group had appeared, having just turned the corner of the street, and were now making their way towards the steps that overlooked the wrestling crowd. Without one more word, both Kirk and Spock bolted towards them as one, Kirk clutching the uranium canister as tightly as he could.

They weaved in and out of the crowd, pushing their way unceremoniously through the square. The groups of dancers around the monolith grew in size and speed by the minute. They would yelp and laugh, tackle each other to the ground, try to carry another person away as they slipped from their grasp due to the grease that coated them all, making their skin glisten and their long hair plaster flat to their skin. Like a flock of birds, occasionally they would suddenly shift and change direction, as if they were all small parts of a single, larger entity. By the time they made it to the steps, they were both panting and slick. They jumped up hurriedly and stopped right in front of the group of Vulcans, who stared at them unblinkingly for a few seconds. Kirk and Spock stood there, uncertain as to where to begin their explanations.

Finally, the young Surak gently pushed his way up the front of the group to meet them and stated dryly, in flawless Federation Standard:

–It would appear you two have something for us.–

–Yes. Yes!– remembered Kirk. He showed the uranium canister to the Vulcans –we took this from the Shi'ar clan. They had constructed a device to blow up the entire city just to kill you, Surak– he offered up the canister to them for inspection. Jarok stepped forwards and took it from his hand with alarm, and hid it inside his robes right away.

–They will come back soon for you, Surak. We need to leave for the Starfleet base. You have to hide– Spock pleaded.

Surak considered this for a few moments, before asking:

–Do you know how to find the base?–

The group split for safety, with Jarok and the others taking the uranium canister outside the city to hide it somewhere safe. Even though the clans had the knowledge to construct nuclear devices, uranium was extremely rare and expensive in Vulcan. This would be a significant setback on Shi'ar's plans, and it bought them time to figure out how to proceed.

Meanwhile, Surak walked with Kirk and Spock to the Starfleet base. He had decided it was logical to split from the group and walk towards the outskirts of the city to deflect suspicion, and that way he could also help them find their way. Surak's quiet confidence gave him an aura of charisma that was very attractive, and Jim could see how he managed to gain the attention of so many Vulcans in his lifetime. Spock was walking right beside him, and seemed more quiet and glum than usual.

–Sai-vel'uh vu, sa-kan. Ri aushfamalurh– Surak said as he took off his dark blue overrobe and placed it on Spock's shoulders with father-like demeanor. Spock thanked him weakly with sadness in his eyes.

–Spock– Jim asked after a few moments –what happened at the festival? Are you OK?–

–Yes– Spock responded hurriedly –it is fine. The guards hit me because they thought I was suspicious. They were not wrong– he smirked playfully for a second before his tone became somber again. –Perhaps it is not safe for me to stay in Shi'Kahr after all– he shrugged contemplatively.

–Perhaps, one day, we will have a world that is safe for everyone– Surak answered.

–Surak– Spock asked quietly –what do you think of the Federation?–

–They are a force of peace– Surak pondered –but the situation with the ore mining is unsustainable. If they are going to trade, Vulcans should be at the negotiation table like equals.– his response made Spock lower his gaze pensively.

They walked the rest of the way towards the base listening to his calming voice as he spoke gently of his ideas. Spock reached out and held Kirk's hand tightly as they walked, both knowing that the time to say goodbye was growing closer and closer with every step they took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Ah, sa-kan t'maat t'S'chn T'gai! Tor du nash-irak s'seflar ra, k'diwa? = Ah, a boy of the S'chn T'gai clan! What are you doing this far from the dunes, darling?
> 
> -Okosu t'T’Mihn. Ma tek'ik palutunau svi'Shi'Kahr = Lady of the T'Mihn (clan). We have business to tend to in Shi'Kahr.
> 
> -Ish-veh tfi'kien ha = Is that a non-Vulcan?
> 
> Kup fun-tor odular nash-sehlat na'ith'du t'etek ha = Could you return this sehlat to our camp?
> 
> Ri kup nem-tor wuh'ashiv sehlat. = We cannot take another sehlat.
> 
> Goh za-gad vesht yokul. = He just ate yesterday.
> 
> Vesht nam-tor T'Pau be'kunel-zehl dah-za-gad = T'Pau was by the mountain range two days ago.
> 
> -Rom. Aitlu nash-kar-zhel svi'di'kizh. = Good. I want that armband in exchange.
> 
> -Heh nash-vik’talu isha. = And that necklace, too.
> 
> -Rom halan, os-thrah. Nam'uh korsauk. Rok-tor ragel-tor etek va'ashiv. = Goodbye, old friend. Be safe. I hope we meet again.
> 
> -Sanosh, k'diwa! Dungi na'shaya t'du na'maat! = A pleasure, darling! I will give your regards to the clan!-
> 
> -Fayei esta-irak-nahan, vun wein-tor wadi t'etek na'lof n-an'woi khar-esta. Fokarikau nash-torai wuhsu'es heh zherka-tash t'etek. Bolau sai-vel-tor dular heh kroi n'Rumarie. = Because we are touch telepaths, we must cover our skin in order to avoid direct contact. This action reinforces our individuality and emotional control. You need to get dressed and stop the Rumarie.-
> 
> -Hal'uh na'ha-kel, Surak! Va'ashiv dungi pla'kruslar-kwul-tor kahr-lan, sa-mekh t'du! = Go home, Surak! Your father the general is going to spank you again!
> 
> -Dungi ta'saven-tor n'tupa pa'ozhika svi'mahr-kahkrus. Sanu sarlah'uh kuv qlar'hy. = I will teach a lesson about logic in the market later. Please come if you're interested.
> 
> -Sai-vel'uh vu, sa-kan. Ri aushfamalurh. = Dress yourself, child. You are not an animal.


	7. The Starfleet Base

The Starfleet base reception was an ample hall of polished tritanium and clear glass panels. A flurry of uniformed human officers scattered across it, shuffling urgently between the automatic doors that opened up to the office building situated on the left corner, the benches by the sleek front desk area, and the glass corridor that opened towards the landing bay entry on the right. Kirk sighed, feeling that home was a bit closer in this familiar surroundings, and turned to the young, perpetually confused-looking ensign that sat at the front desk.

Jim smiled as charmingly as he could muster at the young ensign as he approached, only to be interrupted by Spock pushing past him before he could reach the desk. The Vulcan swinged his elbow onto the surface and said urgently:

–I want to join Starfleet.–

Jim's heart swelled as a small contented sigh escaped his lips. He knew all too well what an excellent officer Spock was going to be, Surakian teachings or no Surakian teachings. His love was going to be OK, even after he left. This universe was slowly falling into place, like a vast, transcendent puzzle.

–I, eh...– the ensign muttered as she shuffled through some pads in front of her, and turned to look up some information on her computer. –I... I'm not sure I can...–

–Why? Sign me up– Spock repeated impatiently.

–There has never been a Vulcan in Starfleet. Sir– she added quickly with an apologetic smile.

–Then you are going to enroll the first one. Sign me up– Spock answered with a grin.

The ensign blushed as she handed Spock a PADD and weakly requested he fill the information in. Spock took it and walked past Jim with a smirk, and stood by the benches where Surak was sitting as he completed the necessary forms. The ensign then turned to Jim, who quickly regained his composure, smiling once again.

–Hello! I am Captain James T. Kirk, of the USS Enterprise– he paused as the ensign typed into her computer once again. How was he even supposed to explain the situation he was in at the moment? –I need to...–

–There has been a mistake– the ensign interrupted him, before looking between him and the report displayed on her computer monitor, his own picture smiling stupidly back at him –You were scheduled to land five minutes ago, and report to the Command office, but the only exit from the landing bay is through that door– she pointed to a wide, automated gate just opposite the desk –and I saw you come in through the main entrance. Are you lost?–

–Me? Lost? No...– Kirk laughed as pleasantly as he could. His brain was running at a thousand miles an hour. If what he thought was right, this was a perfect opportunity that he could not allow to escape. –No, this is obviously a mistake. Please inform the bay I will depart as soon as I get there. Which shuttle am I assigned to today?–

–NCC–1701/7... sir– the ensign replied before noticing that Kirk was already darting away from her desk. She stared after him for a second before shrugging and picking up the communicator receiver to notify the landing bay of his arrival.

–Spock!– Jim shouted as he approached his companion. He practically jumped toward the Vulcan as he hugged him close, kissing him on the lips. The PADD Spock had been holding clattered on the floor. As much as he wanted to stay here and kiss him forever, he had to seize this chance. –Wait here for me! I will be back soon, keep your eyes on that door over there!– he exclaimed as he let go of Spock's confused embrace to run again.

Kirk did not even stop as he bowed to Surak, feeling his cold blue eyes piercing his. The Vulcan stood, quickly but collectedly, and raised his hand in the familiar symbol of the ta'al. Jim was quick to straighten up and return it with a huge grin plastered on his face. He could have sworn he felt Surak roll his eyes at him, even though his face remained as stoic as usual.

Jim picked up the pace and darted across the hall as quickly as he could without breaking into a run and arousing suspicions, dodging the startled officers that crossed his path. He finally bolted through the doors and into the glass corridor that would take him to the landing bay area. He looked through the glass one last time to see Spock sitting cross-legged on the floor, the robe still draped around his shoulders, listening attentively to Surak. In that moment, he saw himself, the James Kirk of this universe, walk into the hall, and look around confusedly. Spock immediately jumped up and ran at him. Jim flinched, alarmed at the running Vulcan, but Spock only hugged him.

Kirk stared as they held each other in the distance, and caught Spock's eye briefly as he embraced his own struggling Jim. The Vulcan nodded at him assertively as his now-familiar smirk broke across his face. He committed Spock's bright smile to memory carefully, knowing he might not see it shine quite like this again. When Spock closed his eyes, burying his Jim into his chest, Jim took the chance and hurried to the loading bay.

It did not take much convincing for the operations crew to let him take the shuttle. They took an optical scan when he mentioned he had lost his security clearance pass, but the result aligned cleanly with their database, and none of the officers would question the decision of a captain to leave just after he had arrived, as odd as it sounded. In a few minutes, he was shooting across space in the small shuttle by himself, aiming his course directly at the ion storm cloud that still hung menacingly over the vermilion orb that was oT'Khasi.

When Jim finally entered the bridge of the Enterprise he could not be happier to be home safe, back in his own universe. He had been surprised to be greeted by Scotty in the transporter room, who had asked him if he was OK, as apparently he had been struggling with the controls to bring him back through the storm for five minutes, and maybe they should set off anyway as the supplies they came for had now been loaded securely into the cargo bay. Jim made a mental note to inform the base personnel that he would not be attending their appointment, after all; and counted himself lucky to not have been missing for a week instead.

Spock looked back from the command chair and promptly stood, with his hands folded neatly behind his back. Jim strode directly at him with determination.

–Captain, we...– Spock's speech was suddenly interrupted as Jim pulled him into a hug and kissed him on the lips. The crew fell into a startled, but not entirely surprised silence.

Jim made the kiss short. It was enough to get his point across, and he did not want to embarrass Spock in front of the crew, and they would have time to kiss as deeply and as long as they wanted after their shift. He let go of his First Officer and sat in the command chair with a sigh of relief. Things were finally the way they should be.

–I believe we have things to discuss– Spock said after a while. Jim turned to look at him, and could see the familiar glimmer of a smile in the Vulcan's eyes, even as he stared soberly into the view screen at the distant planets ahead.

–I believe we do, Spock– Jim replied tenderly, before giving the command to the crew to set off on their next journey, kicking the Enterprise into warp speed and shooting across the stars.


End file.
